


Once Upon a Convention...

by Aikori_Ichijouji, Blushweaver, claraowl, Dutchgirl_Arslan, Kaname671, Mimag, nnjvz, SilkHandkerchief



Category: Skip Beat!
Genre: Canon Compliant, Collaboration, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-22
Updated: 2020-11-28
Packaged: 2021-03-09 22:20:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 30,736
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27673261
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aikori_Ichijouji/pseuds/Aikori_Ichijouji, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Blushweaver/pseuds/Blushweaver, https://archiveofourown.org/users/claraowl/pseuds/claraowl, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dutchgirl_Arslan/pseuds/Dutchgirl_Arslan, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kaname671/pseuds/Kaname671, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mimag/pseuds/Mimag, https://archiveofourown.org/users/nnjvz/pseuds/nnjvz, https://archiveofourown.org/users/SilkHandkerchief/pseuds/SilkHandkerchief
Summary: Ren’s new modeling job concocted by President Lory gives Kyoko a chance to drag Kuon into fairytale cosplay as the newly formed couple experience the joy of a convention/comic-con. Canon. Collaboration.
Relationships: Mogami Kyoko/Tsuruga Ren
Comments: 70
Kudos: 32





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> ((We are aware that some people might struggle with certain colour combinations, and we are sorry this has caused some of you to have a worse experience. Please know that you can click 'Hide Creator Style' at the top in order to get rid of all the fancy decorations and return to the basics. Thank you, and enjoy!))
> 
> Hello and welcome to our fall collab! I hope you have as much fun reading this as we did writing it. And to my fellow con-goers, I hope you can use it to live vicariously like I did!
> 
> We own nothing :)

## Chapter One

[Claraowl](https://archiveofourown.org/users/claraowl/pseuds/claraowl) [[FFN](https://www.fanfiction.net/u/3551005/)]

Kyoko accepted the full-access badges from the exhausted service representative at the booth. She smiled and thanked them, then moved to the side to collect the lanyards, clips, and convention guides from the nearby table. It was lucky that she had gotten here so early – there was still plenty of everything left. She snagged two of the lanyards and badge clips each, but figured that she and Kuon could share a guide. A small smile crept onto her face as she clipped the plastic badges into place. This was going to be such a fun week, even if the way it had come about had seemed more than a little contrived.

Early last summer, Kuon had learned that Lory was having a costume line designed by R’Mandy – and, since ‘Tsuruga Ren’ was their main model, he would be responsible for helping to advertise them. The catch? Lory insisted on advertising them at a convention, as he was Lory and there is no known cure. R’Mandy had agreed, presumably because of Lory’s influence and their familiarity with his notorious idiosyncrasies. Ren was slated to appear at a few panels and a runway show throughout the week, as well as to attend some company dinners, but he was otherwise left with plenty of time to enjoy the convention. The fact that Kyoko’s president-ordered, week-long vacation coincided with Ren working at a Fairytale convention was probably Lory’s least subtle matchmaking attempt to date.

Kyoko giggled to herself as she made her way back through the hotel to the elevator. _I wonder when Julie-sama – I mean, Mom – is going to let Father tell the president that Kuon and I are together._ Her head spun as she pressed the button to call the elevator. Sometimes it was still hard for her to fathom that Kuon was Father’s son. Wrapping her head around the fact that Julie-sama, the woman called the most beautiful woman in the world, had accepted her into the family. She had insisted on Kyoko calling her ‘Mom’ the first time they had spoken on the phone, refusing to answer to any other name. And once she had heard about Kyoko’s own mother, it had taken Kuon calling them to stop them from adopting her legally! She shook her head at the memory. _Thank goodness they came around. I couldn’t live out a Heel sibling situation in real life._

She hoped that Lory wouldn’t find out about them particularly soon. Yashiro-san had warned them that the president was planning a giant celebration for when they inevitably got together. Honestly, it surprised her that he had yet to find out about them; she supposed it was thanks to Mom and Father’s advice. The two had plenty of experience with sneaky dates back in the day, after all. That, and the fact that she and Kuon had a super-manager. Without all of that, Lory definitely would have found out by now. They had been dating for quite a while, after all – long enough that she was comfortable sharing the hotel room R’Mandy had provided Ren with him. Thankfully, any bed that was big enough for Kuon had some room for Kyoko, too. The elevator dinged and she stepped inside.

Their hotel room was empty when she returned; Kuon had been caught at a last-minute fitting and debriefing for the week’s events. This left her with plenty of time to finish making the last pieces of their cosplays. Kuon had gotten most of the main pieces as samples from R’Mandy ( _his_ were certainly samples, and hers were allegedly samples too… as far as she knew), but the accessories Kyoko had made herself. Technically, she was in the process of making them – she still had to put finishing touches on one accessory for Kuon’s last cosplay, only he had no idea that she was making this one. It was going to be a surprise for her fairy prince. And given the sheer amount of items in their room, he was unlikely to see it. Seven days’ worth of cosplays did take up a lot of space… and seven different cosplays meant that fans were less likely to recognize and mob them.

* * *

Kuon opened the door to their room to find Kyoko flipping through the convention guide. She popped off of the bed and came to greet him, beaming. “How was the fitting?”

“It went smoothly, so we’re all set for the panels and show.” He tugged her to him for a hug. “Did you find anything you want to go to this afternoon?”

“Yes! Come sit, I brought bentos for us to eat before we get into our costumes. I’ll tell you all about it as we eat.” She led him over to the small table in their room, never leaving his arms.

He made a show of sighing and dragging his feet over to the table, presumably at the prospect of eating, but the effect was ruined by the grin on his face. She giggled. He sat down and pulled her onto his lap, making her roll her eyes,though she offered no real protest. She simply pulled both bentos to their side of the table and opened them. He gave another exaggerated sigh as he picked up his chopsticks, earning him an elbow to the ribs.

“So I found a panel that looks really interesting,” she said between mouthfuls. “It looks like it’s about the different ways that faeries have been portrayed in fairy tales.”

“Sounds fun.” He pressed a kiss to her ear. “Anything else catch your eye?”

“Mmm, not really. We don’t have much time today before you have to go to that work dinner.” She leaned back against his solid torso, feeling incredibly safein his arms.

“You can come with me to that, you know.” He took a bite of his lunch.

“And have President Takarada question why I’m there?” She shook her head. “I appreciate the offer, but I’ve got some pieces of our cosplays to finish.”

He didn’t press the issue; as much as he wanted to have her there, he knew that she wasn’t ready for the president to find out about them yet. To be fair, neither was he; his godfather’s reaction was going to be unbearable. Not to mention the fact that the party the man was sure to throw would reveal the news to _everyone_. As much as he wanted to let all of Tokyo know to whom he belonged, he didn’t want to put that type of pressure on Kyoko – or her career. He also didn’t want her to have to face the wrath of his fans. “At least get room service, then?”

She poked her bento with her chopsticks. “But it’s so expensive. I could maybe make something….”

“But there’s no kitchen in here – and we’re staying here on R’Mandy’s dime. They’re paying for me to be here, and you being here helps me enjoy the convention. Besides, the food here is apparently really good. Not as good as yours,” he gestured to the bentos, “but still delicious. I think I even saw that they had hamburgers with egg on the menu.”

“I… okay,” Kyoko mumbled, letting the matter drop. “I still can’t believe they paid for all those costumes.”

 _For all of mine, yes. My R’Mandy stylist helped me order yours under a pseudonym, as thanks for helping her find a good, discreet place to take her wife on a date._ “It’s part of the business. Having the pieces being worn is good advertising.”

“Speaking of which, we should finish eating soon and start getting ready.” She ate the last bits of her bento, pressed a kiss to his cheek, and slipped off of his lap. “I’m going to go get changed, so finish eating, okay?”

“Okay, princess.” His eyes followed her form as she picked up a bundle of clothing and disappeared behind the bathroom door. He finished eating then stood up to wrangle his own costume.

* * *

Half an hour later, Snow White (of “Snow White and Rose Red”) and her bear (who turns out to be her prince in the end) exited the elevator. Kuon chuckled to himself. There was no way his fans would recognize him in this cosplay, that was for sure. He was quite literally a bear – he might as well have been wearing a bearskin rug, for how realistic his costume was. He just wished that it wasn’t so hot. Fortunately, Kyoko had sewn some cooling packs into the inside lining so he wouldn’t overheat. And, as he was a _bear_ , he didn’t have to actually talk to people if he didn’t feel like it. He could just growl at everyone but Kyoko. It was honestly such a welcome break from being the ever-polite, small-talking Tsuruga Ren.

His princess was safe from recognition, too. Her Snow White (not the one from _Snow White and the Seven Dwarves_ ) had her wearing a long, blonde wig, a blue peasant’s dress with puffy sleeves, sturdy shoes, a white apron, and a white-and-blue hair kerchief. She also had a small blue draw-string backpack with their wallets, some snacks, her small sewing kit, a notepad, two pens, and a water bottle – con essentials, according to her research. All in all, she looked adorable. She slid her hand into the crook of his fur-covered arm as they exited the elevator, her other hand coming up to double-check that her lanyard had her badge properly secured to it. He went to peck the top of her head out of habit, but wound up just smacking his muzzle against her head. She laughed.

“Where’s the panel being held?” he asked, bending a bit so she could hear him more easily as they walked down the hallway. Even in the hotel portion of the convention center, it was loud. Kyoko started to answer him, but was quickly distracted by another convention attendee – one dressed like a fairy. She fished her phone out of her apron pocket, unlocked it, and tugged Kuon over to the cosplayer.

“Pardon me,” she said, affecting a sweet tone befitting her character and holding up her phone, “but I adore your cosplay. May I take your portrait?”

“Of course!” the fairy replied, beaming. She struck a pose.

Kyoko snapped a picture, checked it, then bowed. “Thank you!”

“My turn,” the fairy replied, whipping out her phone. “Both of you, pretty please?”

Kuon-the-bear crouched down, put his hands on the floor, and cocked his head at Kyoko. She posed like she was brushing snow off of him and smiled. Kuon smiled, then realized that his face was not visible. The fairy snapped the picture, thanked them, and bounced off to enjoy the con. Kyoko gave Kuon a hand up, which he brushed his muzzle against before releasing. She giggled and tucked herself into his side as they made their way to the panel.

As always happens with good panels, the line was long, leaving them plenty of time to people-watch. Kyoko kept up a running commentary on who was from which fairytale and snapping pictures from afar (or close up, when possible without stepping out of line – Kuon was beyond terrified of them getting separated). This left Kuon to listen for her favorites and point out a particularly impressive cosplay of Baba Yaga’s house, which Kyoko managed to get a picture of for him to send to his Mom. It also gave him plenty of time to unabashedly stare at his girlfriend as she glowed from enthusiasm. _Kyoko even makes waiting in a line fun,_ he thought with a grin. Her angels curled around him, letting her know he was happy, and she beamed even brighter in return. _Oh, to just have this week with her here, without any work involved. Maybe next year…?_ The doors to Ballroom B opened, and they were let inside.

Kyoko led him to seats at the end of a row near the front, and was pleased that there were tables in this room. They took their seats and she dug out her notepad and one of the pens (the other hid, as pens always do in bags). He cocked his head, making the costume’s ears flop a bit. “Why the paper?”

“I want to take notes, so I remember the important parts. Plus, I’m sure I’ll want to share some of this with Maria-chan!” She flipped the notepad open and tested to make sure her pen worked.

“I’d offer to help, but…” He gestured with his paw-covered hands. She giggled, but didn’t get a chance to respond before the panel started. Kuon spent most of the panel admiring Kyoko and came to the conclusion that wearing a bear suit was worth it if it meant that he could watch her this much.

* * *

“That was such a fun panel!” Kyoko exclaimed, her arms thrown out to her sides as people filed out of the ballroom.

“It really was,” Kuon agreed, lumbering to his feet. He had actually learned some neat faerie facts despite mainly watching Kyoko’s expression change. “Was there anything in there you didn’t already know?”

“A few things, but it was still really interesting to hear the other tales that back up the stuff I already knew! I can’t wait to tell Maria-chan. Though I probably won’t tell her about the Bannik.” She shuddered. “I’m glad they live in Ireland! I’d have hated to have to deal with one at the ryokan.”

“Would a Bannik really have been worse than some of the customers you had to deal with?” He offered her his arm and she took it, her bag secured on her back.

She laughed. “Probably not. But who knows what other entities it might’ve invited!”

“Nothing you couldn’t have handled with salt, iron, and your nakai smile, I bet.”

He opened his mouth to say more, but Kyoko started vibrating wildly and her bag seemed to shriek. Her face fell as she dug out and silenced her phone. “That’s the alarm I set. We should head back to the room and get changed so you can get to your dinner on time.”

He let out something between a growl and a whine as she hooked her bag back into place. “Can I just… not?”

She poked his ribs as they started walking. “Excuse me, Mr. Even-If-A-Parent-Dies?”

“This isn’t filming. This is a stupid social dinner where they will feed me way too much rich food and expect me to play nice with people I can barely stand.” Despite his words, he helped her weave through the crowds on their way back to their room. “I’d really rather stay with you.”

“I would, too,” she admitted, “but we both know you’re going to go no matter what, because work is important to both of us. And it’s the first day, so it’s extra necessary to show face.”

“You could still come with me,” he offered. “Taste all sorts of yummy food, do some networking….”

“And lose any possibility of privacy this week.” She rolled her eyes, but smiled. “Just bring some of your leftovers back to the room.” She cut him a sharp look. “ _Some_. Yashiro-san will tell me if you don’t eat.”

“Well, there goes that plan.” He pressed the elevator button. The walk back had been so much shorter than the walk there. As the pair stepped inside, somehow just the two of them, he willed the elevator to break. Being stuck in an elevator was a good excuse to skip dinner and spend more time with Kyoko, right? Sadly, they reached their floor and were all too soon inside their hotel room. _If only we could stay in here,_ Kuon thought.

Kyoko helped him out of his bear costume, laughing hysterically at the way the head had made his hair stand up at odd angles. “Wait, wait, let me take a picture before you fix it. This is too good!” He obliged her, crossing his eyes and sticking out his tongue to complete the goofy image, before giving her a proper kiss and going off to shower – even with the sewn-in ice packs, he had still gotten a bit warm in the suit. She flopped onto the bed, still in her cosplay, and stared at the picture on her phone. _I am the only person in the whole world who has this type of picture of him,_ she thought, beaming even as her face turned pink. _This is definitely going in the treasures picture folder._

A few minutes later, Kuon came out of the bathroom and sprawled out on the bed next to her, half-dressed, his towel around his shoulders and his hair still wet. “Thank you again for the ice packs. You’re brilliant. I would’ve sweltered in that without them.”

“You’re welcome, but you’re getting the blanket all wet.” She smiled when he gave an exaggerated sigh, sat up, and started drying his hair. “I learned it for playing Bo. I usually have to sew them to my clothes instead, though, because his suit isn’t mine.”

“I figured it was something like that. It’s a wonder you don’t die of heat with all those stunts you do as him, though.” He scrubbed harder at his hair with the towel, wanting to get it dry faster but also wanting to be able to talk to Kyoko while doing so. Hair dryers were just too noisy.

“Ah yes, ‘stunts’ like walking across a stage while carrying a basket of eggs.” She rolled her eyes. “Muse-sama’s going to yell at you if you keep being that rough on your hair.”

“Maybe this is a blatant attempt to get you to offer to dry it for me.” He grinned down at her, but started drying it normally. “And I was more referring to stunts like your gymnastics routine when you guys interviewed that Olympian.” _That_ had been a wild show.

She stuck her tongue out at him, but did raise herself to her knees and steal his towel. “Okay, that was _one_ time. And you could’ve just asked.”

“True. How about I bring you a dessert from the restaurant as thanks? Yashiro said that they were supposed to have really good little cakes.” He felt his eyelids droop as her hands worked the towel over his hair. God, her hands felt so good. He hadn’t even realized that he’d had a headache.

“…You say that like you weren’t secretly planning it already.” She squinted at the back of his head through the towel.

“Guilty as charged.” He held up his hands in mock-surrender. “C’mon, princess, I barely get to spoil you as it is. At least let me do a little of it this week while you’re cosplaying royalty.”

“You spoil me plenty, Kuon.” She pulled the towel away and gently raked her fingers through his now slightly damp hair, combing out the knots. “A bit too much, honestly. What if I get greedy?”

He shook his head, making her fingers dance over his scalp. “Not enough. Dad would be truly appalled at the state of things and Mom would kidnap you for a girls’ day.”

Her fingers trailed down the sides of his neck and her arms followed, hugging him from behind. “Your time is enough, Kuon. Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate all of this,” she gestured to the cosplays and their room, “but my favorite part of this is that I get to do it all with you. The fact that you choose to spend your precious free time with me – the fact that you _work_ your _schedule_ around date night is more than enough. That spoils me enough for a lifetime.”

He leaned back into her embrace and tilted his head so he could kiss her softly. When they parted, he said, “And that makes me want to spoil you even more. You know I’d give you all my time if I could. Because that means I get all of yours, too.”

She gave a sigh of contentment as she leaned against him. “That does sound nice.”

“We could spend all day acting together until we wanted to be just us again. And then start all over the next day.” His hand slid up and back until he found her jaw.

“I think we’d run out of scripts too soon, but we both love acting too much to give it up.” She wrinkled her nose. “Neither of us are really writers, as far as I know.”

“I’d be happy to be your prince forever, over and over.”

Before Kyoko could respond, Kuon’s phone started beeping. He let out a sigh that would have made Maria scold him. Kyoko raised an eyebrow. “And that is?”

“My cue to finish getting dressed and try one more time to convince you to join me at dinner.” He slid reluctantly out of her embrace and stood.

“Boo.” She smoothed down her skirt, then realized she was still in her cosplay. “I should get out of this before I order dinner.”

Kuon paused as he pulled a shirt out of the closet. “Princess, you saying things like that makes it even harder for me to leave.”

She blushed. “You know I didn’t mean right this minute!”

He chuckled as he finished getting dressed and prepared to become ‘Tsuruga Ren’ again. Before he left, Kyoko caught him at the door and tugged him down for a slow, sweet kiss. “Have a good dinner.”

“Last chance to join me,” he teased.

She shook her head. “I’ve got some last-minute pieces to finish.”

As it transpired, after she had eaten she didn’t quite get the pieces finished, as she did not want to risk him seeing them before they were done. She did have time to look through the convention guide a bit more. There were so many things planned for the week that caught her interest – contests, panels, workshops, and even a charity cosplay ball! There was also the dealer’s room, which was sure to be a good place to look for a souvenir for Maria-chan… but was probably a dangerous place to visit with Kuon, especially since his other costumes had pockets, meaning that his wallet would not be safely trapped in her bag.

But that would all be an issue for another day, she mused, slipping into bed next to her fairy prince that night. The pair drifted off to dreamland, safe in each other’s embrace and looking forward to the rest of their fairy-dusted week.

### Author Notes

End day one! I wonder what the rest of the cosplays are going to be… leave your guesses at the bottom of your review! :D

~[Claraowl](https://archiveofourown.org/users/claraowl/pseuds/claraowl)


	2. Chapter Two

## Chapter Two

[Dutchgirl_Arslan](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dutchgirl_Arslan/pseuds/Dutchgirl_Arslan) [[FFN](https://www.fanfiction.net/u/13686084)]

For a few early hours of the second convention day, Kuon’s work schedule would keep him busy. It started with a photo shoot at the hotel’s boutique “Emporio R’Mandy Uomo”, then an exclusive interview focusing on the collaboration between R’Mandy and LME.

Even though Kyoko preferred a Japanese-style breakfast, she had placed an order for a Western-style breakfast with Room Service ahead of time in support of Kuon. The special and extensive breakfast consisted of homemade cinnamon oatmeal, croissants, French toast, toast with Yorkshire ham and Cheddar cheese, fried eggs sunny side up with sliced bacon strips, mini sandwiches, mini pancakes with honey and butter, yogurt with nuts and raisins, seasonal fruit salad, a jug of freshly pressed orange juice, a selection of seven kinds of teas and two small pots of coffee.

While leafing through the Room Service menu the previous day, the breakfast section had caught her eye. Knowing how busy Kuon would be, she was sure that this power breakfast would help him last the entire morning.

The trolley arrived while Kuon was still busy with his morning rituals. While she happily set up the table, Kyoko thought about today’s cosplay. Beauty and the Beast was a beautiful, classic fairy tale, and its costumes were just perfect. She couldn’t help but smile just thinking about Belle’s dress: satin in all shades of yellow, along with a pair of silk gloves, a silk headband, and matching dancing shoes.

_Never thought that the shoes would be a problem. Fortunately, there is a nice selection of low heeled dancing shoes online. I’m so glad they could be delivered earlier,_ she thought.

“That’s a lovely smile on such a lovely face. What are you thinking about?” A very handsome and stylish Kuon sauntered into the dining area.

“Oh, there you are. Just in time for breakfast. I was thinking about the dress for today’s cosplay, how well everything turned out, and how much I love it.” Kyoko couldn’t help herself and beamed a bright smile toward Kuon.

* * *

Kuon felt like the luckiest man alive and wanted to bask in it for all of eternity. But alas, duty called. They had just enough time for breakfast and a little bit of small talk.

“I don’t want to complain, but isn’t this a lot of food? How much did you order?” he said as they sat down for breakfast. Bewildered, Kuon stared at all the food laid out in front of him.

“It’s the Western-style Special Extensive Breakfast. It should last you through the photoshoot and interview. You might even be able to skip lunch. And don’t worry about the quantity, I have asked them to provide me with empty bento boxes. We can have a Tupperware picnic party later, bento box style.” Kyoko started to giggle and then burst out laughing at the prospect of having a bento box style Tupperware picnic party in a hotel room. As strange as it sounds, it’s the fun that counts.

Kuon happily agreed (anything that makes her happy has his stamp of approval / full support) and poured himself a cup of coffee. Both then tried to eat as much as was possible in silence.

* * *

After the meal, Kuon hurried to the boutique and Kyoko arranged all of the left-overs in the empty bento boxes. As Kuon’s interview would finish around noon, there was still enough time to prepare for the cosplay.

First, she took out the brown wig and accompanying mannequin head and put it on the dresser. She then undid the braid and combed it until it felt smooth. Finally, satisfied with the result, she used the silk headband to tie up the hair in a high knot combined with a ponytail. Next, she took the beautiful ball gown and matching gloves from the closet. Observing them from all sides, and seeing that there were no creases, she hung the hanger on the clothes rack conveniently placed next to the closet. Rummaging through the pink travel-sized jewelry box (a lovely gift from Julie-sama) on the dresser, Kyoko found a pair of rose-shaped rose gold earrings (a birthday present from Kuon). She put those next to the wig.

Her eyes then fell on the flyer she happened to have taken from a flyer-stand near the entrance of the convention center.

A charity ball would be held on the last day of the convention. And to make sure that enough cosplayers were willing to participate, dance classes were to be given on the second, fourth, and fifth day.

Lastly, she pulled a shoebox from the bottom shelf of the closet, took out the dancing shoes, and sat down to admire them. She remembered the day they were delivered. She had just gotten home to the Darumaya after work. As she was about to go upstairs, Okami-san stopped her and said that a package for her had arrived. It had been put in her room. After thanking her profusely, she climbed the stairs with record-breaking speeds, opened up the package as fast as she could, and held the pair up to admire them from every angle. Then she put them on and floated around the room.

Still amazed at the perfect fit, Kyoko put the shoes underneath the dress. That was part one of the preparation. She then checked her cell phone and saw that she had about two hours left for preparation part two, the actual dressing up, and part three: preparing Kuon’s costume.

* * *

At around 13:00 Kuon returned to the room, where a smiling, longhaired brunette greeted him.

“I have just put the finishing touches on your costume. If you start with dressing up now, we will have enough time to walk around a bit before dancing class starts.”

“Where are the dancing classes held?” Kuon asked as Kyoko handed him The Beast’s blue jacket.

“In Hall 2. It’s the only hall big enough to give dancing lessons.”

As Kuon changed into The Beast’s costume, he told Kyoko about what had happened during the photo shoot and interview. For one, the surprise appearance of Jelly Woods as the main make-up artist responsible for the shoot’s looks. The chief editor and photographer of the fashion department of JGQ had alsorequested an exclusive interview for tonight at eight. Lory had already agreed; Jelly would be attending as well. Fortunately for him, no formal dinner was planned, so Kuon could focus on preparing for that interview.

* * *

Kyoko couldn’t help grinning from ear to ear as they exited the elevator. She loved the dress, which made a _swish, swish_ sound while they walked arm in arm to the convention area near Hall 2. As they wouldn’t be able to hold their bags while dancing, she had ordered a matching pouch bag with strings that she could tie around her waist.

Suddenly, they heard giggles and laughter coming from a large group to their right. Her curiosity got the better of her as Kyoko steered Kuon towards the giggles’ direction. As they got closer Kyoko could make out the silhouettes of Tinkerbell, Silvermist, Rosetta, Iridessa, Fawn, and Vidia. The group did several poses. Fans and admirers alike took pictures.

“That seems fun. I’d also like to take pictures of them. They are Disney celebrities after all.” Kyoko beamed at Kuon, but he shook his head.

“I wouldn’t do that right now. I forgot he was at the photo shoot and interview as well.” Sighing deeply Kuon, dressed as the Beast, facepalmed. The Beast’s claw on his face made the movement look extra dramatic.

_CLICK CLICK CLICK CLICK CLICK_

Many, many flashlights went off. The crowd around the fairy girls surrounded Kyoko and Kuon.

“That was a splendid dramatic pose. I hope you don’t mind us taking photos.” A guy dressed as Merlin from “The Sword in the Stone”, minus the beard, grinned at them. “I am a self-appointed fairy photographer and have been to every fairy tale and fantasy convention. May I take a photo of both of you?” His eyes were star-struck.

“But of course you may. You don’t mind do you?” Kyoko beamed at Kuon, who felt helpless and caught. Both posed for the photographer, and several other admirers. The fairy girls watched on, evidently interested in this turn of events.

“What a beautiful young lady. To find herself at the arm of a _beast_. Say, may I take a picture?” Without waiting for her reply, Hidehito Kijima took several pictures. Before Kuon could react Kyoko pinched his arm.

“We are grateful for your kindness sir, but there is a panel we have to attend, and we cannot afford to be late.” Kyoko smiled politely at him.

“You know,” Kijima said, stroking his chin, “you remind me of someone. That exquisite dress, such lovely makeup– I’m sure I have seen this combination somewhere.”

“Thank you very much for your compliment sir. I am very honored. But as we are not from here I do not think we have met before.” The same polite smile never left Kyoko’s face.

“Are you sure? That’s a pity.” Before Kijima could continue he saw a hot duo from the corner of his eye: Morgan le Fay was talking animatedly with a giggling Guinevere. Looking at the fancy watch on his wrist, he excused himself. “Now that you mention it, I totally forgot about the time. My fair ladies, I must bid you farewell. I hope to see you all again tomorrow.” Bowing to the bemused fairies and Kyoko, Kijima quickly walked in the direction of the stunning duo.

“He was so annoying, I completely forgot he was here,” Kuon muttered under his breath.

“Well, that was a surprise.” Kyoko heaved a sigh of relief. “It’s a good thing he was distracted.” She then turned towards the fairy ladies. “I love your costumes. May I take a picture of you all?”

“But of course.” said Tinkerbell. “Take as many pictures as you need.”

“And in return,” said Rosetta, “we would like to take pictures of you.”

“He was right you know,” said Silvermist, “your dress is stunning.”

“Gorgeous, just gorgeous.” Iridessa couldn’t stop fawning over the dress.

Both Fawn and Vidia smiled and nodded in agreement.

After taking pictures of each other to their hearts’ content, Tinkerbell’s group decided to go to the other side of the convention hall. They all said their goodbyes.

“That was close. Who would have thought he was good at observing faces.” Kyoko was in deep thought while they walked towards Hall 2.

“And who would have thought he was that good at modeling.”

Both smiled. A single sweatdrop started to form at the right side of their foreheads. Fortunately, this all took no longer than twenty minutes. They arrived earlier than expected. Even so, a short line had already started to form in front of the large doors that led to Hall 2.

At exactly two o’clock the doors to the large hall opened and a staff member dressed as the White Rabbit from a well-known otome game enthusiastically bowed, and let them all in.

“Welcome, welcome, lovely guests. Welcome, all, to the magical ballroom of the Wonderful Wonder World. Please do come in; make yourselves at home. Enjoy today’s superb dance lesson given by the most brilliant and loveliest dance instructor, Alice Liddell.”

“DAMN IT SHUU. ENOUGH WITH BEING IN CHARACTER AND WOULD YOU STOP MAKING A BLOODY FOOL OUT OF YOURSELF?” The loveliest dance instructor, Alice Liddell, shrieked in exasperated outrage at the White Rabbit. He looked at her with adoration.

“That’s enough Shuu. Stop annoying our guests.” A tall, handsome man in a black suit and top hat gave an exasperated sigh and smiled charmingly at all the participants. “Ladies and gentlemen, fellow cosplayers, please come inside and take a seat as close to the front as possible. Thank you very much for your cooperation.”

All the bemused participants entered Hall 2 in twos or threes and chose a seat near the podium, while Kyoko and Kuon chose an aisle seat near the doors. The female instructor walked forward and began the class by introducing herself first.

“Good afternoon everyone. My name is Fujiko, but you can call me Alice. I am today’s dance instructor, and I look forward to teaching you the basics and the most important rules of ballroom etiquette.” The large screen behind her popped on and she continued, “We will start by learning one of the easiest ballroom dance styles: the waltz. The waltz is a kind of graceful and elegant dance that consists of gentle, flowing movements…”

* * *

“1,2,3,1,2,3. And stop. Well done everyone! That was some amazing dancing! Let’s hear some self-applause.” Alice the dance instructor smiled at all the participants, very pleased with their efforts, and started clapping. Everybody clapped along enthusiastically, some wildly cheering and whistling.

After all that died down, Alice continued. “We have prepared a special booklet for every participant, so please do not forget to take yours with you when you leave. Also, today’s lesson will be uploaded to our website. All you have to do is to create an account and you can rewatch today’s lessons as many times as you want. Thank you all very much for participating. Good luck at the charity ball, and above all, have fun.” She bowed gracefully, gave a final wave, and then left for backstage.

All the participants took a booklet from the table that was placed next to the entrance and left chattering excitedly amongst themselves.

“That was so much fun.” Kyoko enthusiastically turned to Kuon. She couldn’t stop talking about the dance class. “They have even prepared a tutorial for practicing at home, soe could try it out in the hotel room during your free time. What do you think?”

“That sounds like a great idea. We can clear out some space in the middle of the sitting room, and turn down the volume. Let’s just hope that there aren’t many unexpected invitations.” Kuon mentally crossed his fingers.

They both decided to head back to their hotel room to rest properly, as Kuon had to prepare for that night’s interview. Nothing unexpected happened along the way, which was a good thing, as they had had enough excitement for the day.

* * *

Back in their hotel room, Kyoko helped Kuon take off The Beast’s mask and jacket first, then she called room service to place an order for a light dinner, as they still had some left-over food from that morning’s breakfast. Meanwhile, Kuon went to the bathroom to prepare the jacuzzi for a much-needed bath. Taking off his shirt, Kuon looked thoughtfully over his clothes and decided to ask Kyoko for some advice.

“Do you think we should call housekeeping as well for laundry service?” Kuon looked over at a busy Kyoko from the bathroom’s doorway.

“Let’s wait until tomorrow.” Kyoko had taken off her gloves and wig, and was busy putting the bento boxes down on the table “We came well prepared, and have brought enough clothes to tide us over.”

The food trolley arrived faster than they expected. After an early dinner, Kuon decided to wait for the chief director at the hotel’s main bar. He checked himself one more time in the mirror on top of the dresser, kissed Kyoko goodbye, and softly closed the door behind him.

Heaving a deep sigh, Kyoko reluctantly took off the dress and hung it back on the clothes rack. She went to the bathroom and turned on the jacuzzi. Thinking about what had happened in the afternoon, she fervently hoped that they would not run into Kijima during their cosplay rounds tomorrow.

### Author Notes

Once again I am very glad and honored to be a part of yet another Skip Beat fanfiction collaboration.

To all of those who were involved, thank you so much for your hard work. Had a lot of fun talking about fairy tales and cons and stuff.

And to you, dear reader, thank you so much for reading and enjoy all the shenanigans (^o^)

~[Dutchgirl_Arslan](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dutchgirl_Arslan/pseuds/Dutchgirl_Arslan)


	3. Chapter Three

## Chapter Three

[Aikori_Ichijouji](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aikori_Ichijouji/pseuds/Aikori_Ichijouji) [[FFN](https://www.fanfiction.net/u/228617)]

“How did you make this so lightweight?” he asked her, swinging the prop he held back and forth. “And yet it looks so realistic.”

Kyoko giggled at his praise. “I’ve learned a lot from cosplayers online. That’s actually a foam toy that I embellished and painted a bit to make it look properly weathered and used.”

He marveled at the axe in his hand for a moment more with an impressed hum before pulling his cloak aside and attaching it to his belt. Was there truly nothing this amazing woman couldn’t do? He spied her adjusting her own cloak with the aid of the mirrored panels in the elevator to make sure the clasp in the front didn’t sit uncomfortably on her neck.

Kuon caught her eye in the reflection as he watched her and smiled. The ash blond wig he wore made him appear so much more like his old self that he couldn’t help but stare. She’d tried to convince him that he had no need for contact lenses as the hunter’s cap atop his head would shadow his eyes, but he wasn’t yet comfortable enough to be that bold. Thus they had swapped out his usual natural brown contacts for a pair of blues that were warm and wild compared to the icy ones Kyoko wore.

His gaze swept downward, following the sway of the rich crimson cloak draped across her shoulders. “That costume is strangely appropriate for you,” he remarked.

He watched her toss a glossy onyx curl over her shoulder before moving the wicker basket she held from one hand to the other. She turned around and looked up at him, her head tilting ever so slightly to one side.

“How so?”

Kuon raised an eyebrow, though he wasn’t at all surprised by her confusion. In fact, he’d gotten quite used to it. A wry smile curled his lips. “A naive, little girl wandering the forest completely unaware of the predators that wanted to make a meal out of her?”

Her face colored and she looked away. The boisterous laugh that wanted to tear itself from his lips came out as a muffled snort instead. Kyoko opened her mouth but it hung open with no witty retort at the ready. Luckily, she was spared when the elevator came to a stop with a ding. Several other costumed people walked in, all of them too distracted by their chatter with each other to notice the pair standing quietly in the back. He felt her brush against his arm as she sidled closer to him.

“Well, at least this time, I have a huntsman with me to keep the wolves away,” she murmured in a low voice.

This time, a deep, quiet laugh rumbled forth. “Bold of you to think I hadn’t been doing that all along,” he whispered. “At least, now I can be blatant about it.”

* * *

The convention center was bustling as usual when they arrived, and they maneuvered past the long lines for panels, workshops, and even restrooms in search of the booth where they could have Kuon’s axe peace-bonded. Their progress was fairly slow-going, as they were stopped every few minutes for photographs. That, in itself, was an odd change of pace for both of them, all things considered.

Out of the two, Kuon was more likely to be stopped for autographs and photos whenever he was recognized in public, but Kyoko also had enough of a fanbase that she wasn’t exempt from the experience. However, being stopped just because someone appreciated the work that went into their cosplay felt entirely different. Usually they had to wait until whatever production they were in was broadcast on television or premiered in theaters to receive this kind of feedback from fans. Getting instant gratification for a role was different.

And Kyoko loved every second of it. Even the wolf howls thrown her way were funny, if a bit hackneyed. The yelps some of them made whenever Kuon brandished his axe in a threatening manner were even better.

“So, which way are we taking to your grandmother’s house?” Kuon asked while a volunteer secured a neon green zip tie to the handle of his prop to identify that it had been inspected and was approved for use during the con. He was careful to make his voice gruffer than his usual tone whenever he needed to speak.

“She’s not expecting me today,” Kyoko said with a grin. “So you can help me pick flowers in the meadow instead.”

He hummed in understanding and she thanked the volunteer, keeping her own voice bright and syrupy sweet. Talking in code while in character was nothing new to either of them. Kyoko had decided that they should take it easy that day and enjoy the sights rather than rushing to line up for panels. From what she read online, it was important not to overextend themselves too early or run the risk of burning out long before the convention was over. Moreover, she wanted to slow down for Kuon’s sake as well. He was already doing double duty between work and cosplaying with her.

She may have also had a tiny ulterior motive that she wasn’t yet ready to divulge. She’d wait until later and gauge Kuon’s mood before proposing that activity.

Her metaphorical ‘picking flowers’ amounted to the two of them wandering aimlessly around the convention center and taking in the sights. There were art shows filled with breathtaking works done in a myriad of media. There were exhibits of costumes and set pieces from popular fairy tale films and shows. She almost wandered into the dealer hall but, wisely, decided to go another day. The last thing she needed was the temptation of purchasing all manner of fairy and folk tale related things.

The hotel’s atrium was where the majority of cosplayers tended to congregate. It was the place to see and be seen, and Kyoko admitted to herself that she wouldn’t mind doing a bit of both. There, they encountered a group of six Red Riding Hoods taking photos together. The majority of them were accompanied by a wolf that was an actual person in a suit but one carried an adorable, stuffed plush toy. They were joined by a man wearing a familiar costume of a belted tunic, tights and a feathered cap. Kyoko looked confused at first when his outfit was red instead of green, then laughed when he introduced himself as Little Red Robin Hood.

“None of us thought to have our partner cosplay as anything other than the wolf,” one of the Reds spoke up, gesturing to the wolf wearing a pink nightgown and cap standing beside her. “I love that you went for the hunter instead.”

“I don’t see how you had any other choice,” another added with a knowing smile. “That face is far too gorgeous to hide inside of a wolf head.”

Kyoko allowed a small blush to bloom on her cheeks as she stammered her thanks. The other Red Riding Hoods invited her and Kuon to take group photos with them, which she happily accepted. Everyone who made it to their corner of the atrium was treated to several creative tableaus. In one, all of the Reds hid behind Kuon who glared down at a pack of cowering wolves. In another, Kyoko sat regally atop a pile of ‘dead’ wolves with the other Reds surrounding her and cheering while Kuon kneeled before her, pressing a kiss to her gloved hand.

This continued for nearly a half hour before everyone decided to part ways, some in search of food and others to attend a panel. Red Robin Hood lingered behind for a moment to chat with them.

“I’m guessing this is your first con, right?” he asked, to which Kyoko nodded. “Make sure you hit up one of the parties this week.”

“Do you have one that you recommend?” she asked, trying to downplay her excitement. She’d wanted to ask Kuon about attending one, but she was still waiting for the right moment.

“Probably the Unseelie Court Royal Ball. That’s the one we always go to.” He gestured to where another Red and her wolf waited a few paces behind him. “It’s tonight at ten in Ballroom C, so maybewe’ll see you there!”

“If we still have any energy left after all this, we’ll try,” Kyoko replied, her eyes flitting quickly over to where Kuon stood. “Thank you for the suggestion!”

“Oh, and if your hunter likes mock sword fights, they usually have a bunch of duels there too,” he added before turning away with a wave.

“Do you think they’ll let me use my axe?” Kuon asked once they were by themselves.

“Does that mean you’d like to go?” She’d whipped her head around to look at him and the question slipped out a little too quickly. A little too eagerly.

His eyebrow arched high into the shadow of his hat. “Do _you_? This won’t be like your grandmother’s tea parties.”

“I think I’m old enough to go to a ball.” Kyoko pouted and swayed from side to side, letting the basket swing in her hands.

“Well, lucky for you, I’m done hunting for the day.” Kuon wrapped an arm around her shoulders with an exaggerated, put-upon sigh. “Why don’t I escort you home in time for supper and we can figure it out from there?”

She bounced excitedly on her toes, grinning from ear to ear and he laughed. They resumed strolling around the expansive atrium, grabbing photos here and there of whatever caught their eye for another hour before calling it quits and returning to the hotel.

Back in the suite, Kyoko lounged on their bed with Kuon’s phone in her hand while they waited on room service to be delivered. Photos from the con were already being posted in online forums and she wanted to browse through them to see what she might have missed. She knew there was no way she could see everything on any given day. After scrolling through several posts, she came across a familiar face.

“Oh, you’re in this one!” she called out to Kuon, who was adjusting his wig in the bathroom mirror.

It was a photo someone had taken during the interview panel the day before. The post title read _‘Tsuruga Ren at the R’Mandy panel in all his delicious glory’_ and, while she wanted to roll her eyes at it, she couldn’t deny that it wasn’t true. He always looked good, even in hastily snapped fan photos. However, the same did not apply for the comments below the photo. Most of them were the same trite remarks about his appearance that she’d seen and heard before. Next came the slightly more concerning ones that hinted at people trying to figure out where he was staying during the convention and if they could find a way to ‘bump’ into him. Those were, of course, followed by speculations regarding his whereabouts when he wasn’t at a panel, photoshoot or runway show for the R’Mandy line.

_‘You think he’s hanging out at the con afterwards?! I’m so sad I couldn’t go this year!’_ one commenter posted.

_‘It’s definitely possible,’_ another replied. _‘He might even be wandering around in disguise.’_

_‘Lol, what if it’s this guy?’_ This comment was accompanied by a photo and Kyoko gasped. It was the photo of her and Kuon in their Snow White and bear cosplay. A chill passed through her and her heartbeat quickened. Had someone figured them out?

Kyoko breathed a sigh of relief upon reading the next reply. _‘There’s no way he’d wear cosplay from the R’mandy line. That’d be too obvious.’_

_‘Besides, R’Mandy announced that they’d have additional people wearing their pieces during the con itself as part of their campaign,’_ yet another chimed in. _‘That’s probably just one of their other models.’_

Kuon appeared on the bed next to her with a worried frown on his face. She realised he must have heard her gasp and shook her head. “I’m fine,” she assured him. “Just a bit of a scare. I thought maybe our secret got out already.”

She showed him the post she found and he scrolled through the comments, scoffing at the earlier ones before he got to the photo of their cosplay from the first day. She watched his brow furrow as he kept scrolling, then eventually flatten out. He nodded once and put the phone down on the bed between them.

“I was told that we weren’t going to be the only ones in R’mandy costumes when I asked about getting samples for us to wear,” he said. “Otherwise, I don’t think I would’ve taken them.”

“I hadn’t even thought of that,” Kyoko admitted. “I was just so happy to be able to spend time with you here that I didn’t even realize how much we’d stand out if we were the only ones wearing designer pieces from a collection that was only just being released.”

“And I’m happy to have you here.” Kuon reached out to loop one of her curls around his finger.

They shared a tender smile when a knock came at the door. Kyoko moved to get off the bed when he stopped her with a hand and a shake of his head.

“It’s my turn to make dinner tonight,” he joked, pecking her quickly on the lips and making his way to the door.

Dinner was a languid affair. They settled their trays on the table after moving it closer to the window and ate slowly while enjoying the view of the city lights twinkling below them like an ocean of stars. Kyoko let the ambience of the view—and the company—wash over her. The quiet moments they spent together were always special, but this felt even more so. This was a new experience for both of them and she felt lucky to be able to enjoy it together.

Their eyes met across the table and Kuon reached out to place his hand over hers. She watched the lights reflected in his gaze and a happy sigh left her lips. If fairies truly were just legends, and magic didn’t exist at all in the world, this was all the magic she could ever need.

* * *

The Unseelie Court Royal Ball ended up being less of a grand, brightly lit hall filled with fae and other folk gracefully dancing about, and more of a dark room full of flashing lights and very loud music. Kuon worried that Kyoko would be disappointed by the vast disparity between her expectations and reality. To their credit, almost everyone present was still in cosplay. There were several people dressed as fairies and elves—and one banshee who’d draped herself with a sheet of delicate black lace—doing elaborate dances with colored lights on strings and glowing ribbons that they spun in hypnotic, flowing movements around their bodies. It reminded him a lot of a Fashion Week party he’d attended once.

They stood just inside the ballroom and he was waiting for her to change her mind and ask to go back to the hotel. Surprisingly, Kyoko just shook her head and led him by the hand to where a large group of partygoers had gathered in a misshapen circle. There was a great deal of commotion coming from there and she wanted to see what all the fuss was about. More than half of everyone gathered had their phones raised over their heads to either snap photos or to record a video, making it difficult to see over them, so he pushed her forward in front of him and the crowd parted enough to let them move closer to the action.

Two people faced off holding swords that he assumed were made of either plastic or foam. One was dressed in armor made to look as if it were crafted from tree bark and the other—well, the other was definitely Kijima Hidehito in a pirate costume. Just as before, he’d made no attempt to hide his identity. He seemed to revel in his celebrity while also peacocking his swordplay abilities.

After knocking his opponent’s sword aside he brought the edge of his blade to rest against their neck with a flourish, the pixie, who had apparently appointed themselves as referee, declared the duel was over. Cheers and applause erupted from the crowd, Kijima gave his opponent an encouraging pat on the back, and posed for a few selfies with him.

“I was hoping you two would show up,” a voice shouted from Kyoko’s left.

They looked over to find Little Red Robin Hood waving happily. Leaning closer to him, she asked, “How did you manage to find us?”

“That’s easy,” he explained, his voice just barely audible over the pulsing music. “I just look for the only Little Red who’s accompanied by a tall, handsome hunter.”

Kuon let the noise around them swallow his abashed chuckle while Kyoko nodded in agreement and watched the man still grandstanding in the middle of the circle.

“That’s his fifth win in a row,” Robin Hood remarked, following her gaze. “Even the people who come here every year haven’t been able to best him. Myself included.”

He unsheathed a sword from where it was strapped to his hip. It looked like a fairly sturdy, utilitarian sword with a basic handle, guard, and pommel. Kuon guessed it was probably a medieval style sword. Then again, he wasn’t well enough versed in historic European weaponry to be sure. Kyoko gave it an appraising glance and complimented the man on how realistic it looked.

“Who is he anyway?” Kyoko asked, feigning ignorance as to the identity of the rakish pirate who looked like he’d swashed many a buckler.

“Someone famous, or so I’ve been told. I’m not very good with keeping up with that sort of stuff,” he admitted.

“You and me both,” Kuon interjected, leaning forward so he could be heard.

“Are there any other takers?” Kijima shouted from inside the circle, looking around at the faces surrounding him, stopping when he landed on Kuon. “How about you, sir? You look like you’d be a worthy challenger.”

Kuon shook his head and held up a hand in protest, hoping that would be the end of it. Even Kyoko had taken half a step backwards to prepare for a quick escape. As horrible luck would have it, Kijima persisted and moved closer to them.

“I bet he’d probably lend you his sword if you don’t have one,” he gestured to Robin Hood, who nodded at Kuon and proffered his sword.

Kyoko took another small step backwards and Kuon felt the bulk of her cloak’s hood against his chest. “I’m only good with an axe, I’m afraid,” he tried in desperation.

Disappointed, Kijima appeared to take a moment to ponder. When his eyes slid to Kyoko, both of them went still with unease. Kuon placed both hands on her shoulders and held firmly.

“Not even if the honor of your fair maiden was on the line?” he taunted.

Kuon’s grip tightened and Kyoko placed her hand on top of one of his. When she looked up at him, all she had to do was shake her head once for him to understand. _He’s not a threat,_ she was saying. _We can just leave._

“It wasn’t very wise of you to bring Red Riding Hood into a den of wolves,” Kijima taunted. “Surely you must have known she’d be easy prey.”

She moved her hand to place it on Kuon’s chest, stopping him from stepping forward, and shook her head again. “I can fight for my own honor, thanks,” she said, punctuating her statement with a wink. “Think of it as repayment for keeping the wolves away all this time.”

Turning to Robin Hood, she asked to borrow his sword. Once he agreed and passed it to her, she hefted the handle from one hand to the other. Despite being made entirely from plastic, the weight distribution felt right to her. Granted the majority of her experience with swords was with dual wielding two shorter blades, but she had grasped enough of the basics of combat that she was confident she could work with what she had. Kuon was quick to grab the cloak she unclasped from her neck along with her basket. She settled the sword in her right hand and made her way to the center of the circle.

Kijima laughed when he saw her approach. To be fair, she did look somewhat comical. A pinafore dress with a frilly petticoat and heeled ankle boots were not the best items to wear when engaging in a sword fight. She was happy to let him base all of his assumptions on the way she looked. Because what he didn’t realize was that was what put him at a disadvantage.

When they faced each other and the pixie referee called for the duel to start, Kyoko spun the handle of the sword over the back of her hand, letting it whip around and catching it again in her grasp. She did it a second time for good measure. That was right about when the smirk Kijima wore died in the strobing lights that danced across his face. She pushed the inky bangs of her wig out of her eyes and grinned. Kuon almost felt sorry for him. Almost.

They circled each other for a few tense seconds. Kyoko kept her sword raised and watched her opponent’s stance, waiting for the tell that signalled their intent to strike. She blocked his overhead attack and spun around to try hitting his side but he dodged out of the way. The weight and length of the sword slowed her movement more than she thought it would.

Blocking his next attempt to push her sword aside, she backed up to give herself more space to maneuver. Kuon couldn’t stop the beam of pride on his face. She’d realized, just as he had, that Kijima had a farther reach due to his height. However, that also meant she could use her own height to her benefit. She widened her stance and crouched as low as her dress would allow on his next advance to slash at his legs.

He noticed almost too late and his jump turned into a stumble, knocking him off balance and providing the perfect opening for Kyoko. She sprung back into a standing position while transferring her sword from her right hand to her left. Swinging for Kijima’s sword-wielding hand, she knocked the blade out of his grip, flinging it across the circle where it skidded to a stop at the feet of a very bemused dryad.

The crowd went absolutely mad.

Kyoko didn’t realize how hard she was breathing until she stopped to look around for Kuon. Their eyes met from across the circle, her cloak was still draped over the same arm that held her basket. The smile he wore mirrored her own. She ran towards him, stopping only to return the sword to its rightful owner before launching herself into his arms.

She pressed her forehead to his and began to giggle. Soon Kuon began to laugh as well. They held each other, laughing like complete idiots while surrounded by a cacophony of screams, whistles, and applause.

“Now would probably be a good time to make a run for it,” Kuon suggested.

“Yes, I think we’ve made enough of a spectacle,” she agreed with a frantic nod.

He set her back onto her feet and they both reached for the other’s hand at the exact same time. The laughter started anew and they ran out of the ballroom. They kept running all the way through the convention center and stopped only when they reached the hotel elevators. Kuon’s hat was askew, Kyoko’s cape was twisted over on itself, and her basket had long since lost the checkered napkin she’d laid over the top.

Neither of them bothered to fix a thing as they made their way back to their room hand in hand.

### Author Notes

Relationship Status: It’s Con-plicated.

~[Aikori_Ichijouji](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aikori_Ichijouji/pseuds/Aikori_Ichijouji)


	4. Chapter Four

## Chapter Four

[Kaname671](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kaname671/pseuds/Kaname671) [[FFN](https://www.fanfiction.net/u/11068665)]

Kyoko sighed dreamily as she slid down the hotel door, unable to trust the stability of her legs. She was left breathless after a passionate kiss exchange with Kuon before he had headed out for his morning schedule. She sat smiling, her face burning from the memory of last night’s daring lip-lock session. Maybe it wasn’t such a good idea to share a hotel room now that there were no roles constraining them. It was becoming more difficult to maintain boundaries this time around.

Kyoko slapped her palms to her cheeks and shook her head to clear her thoughts. She didn’t have time to think about such notions. She stood on shaky legs and opened the door behind her. She peeked down the hallway, both ways, to make sure he wasn’t coming back in case he forgot something. When she was satisfied that it was deserted, she shut the door and went straight for the closet where she hid the final pieces of their surprise costumes. Pushing aside their clothes and costumes for the week, she pulled out the items from behind the extra bedding.

She set an alarm on her phone for one hour. That was how much time she had left before she needed to prepare for their next convention date. She wanted to get herself as ready as possible for when Kuon arrived so that she could dedicate her time to helping him. She couldn’t wait to try the new techniques she’d learned from watching the video tutorials on the web.

Kyoko was so engrossed with the work that she started when her alarm finally blared. She finished what she was doing and cleaned her workspace, putting everything back in the closet. While she was there, Kyoko pulled out their costumes, wigs, and accessories for the day and spread them across the bed.

“Oh, no,” she gasped. Everything else was fine except for Kuon’s hat. It had a noticeable crease on one side and the plume drooped. Instead of panicking, she braced herself and dove straight to work. She whipped the iron and ironing board out of the closet. Using the steam from the iron she was able to work the plume back into its original state. The large, navy feather was back at attention in no time. She couldn’t use the same technique on the crease without ruining the dome shape of the hat, so she had to get creative. Kyoko found the solution to her problem by using the hairdryer in the bathroom. With some patience and heat, she was able to work the crease out like it was never there.

Crisis averted, Kyoko moved on to the most exciting part of preparations and pulled out her large makeup bag. Before getting started she stripped down to her undergarments and slathered the parts of her body that would be exposed through the sheer material of her costume with a shimmering lotion to give her ivory skin a nice glow. No one would probably notice it, but she wanted her cosplay to be as authentic as possible. Once she was dry, she pulled on a robe and sat at the vanity in the bathroom to begin the process of becoming an Arabian princess.

* * *

“Is there something wrong, Kijima-san?” Kuon asked reluctantly, as he changed out of the costume-inspired suit that was used during the autograph signing. The President thought it would be a fantastic way to bring attention to tonight’s menswear fashion show. They were the last to finish, leaving them alone in the changing room. Yashiro had left first, aware of Kuon’s intentions for the day until the fashion show.

Kijima sighed. It was the third one in the last two minutes and in Kuon’s opinion, overly exaggerated. As much as he wanted to ignore him and hurry to Kyoko, it wasn’t in his nature to leave a colleague troubled.

“Something bothering you, Kijima-san?”

“I thought she would come to the signing,” Kijima replied listlessly. He had been searching every female face he came across for the blue-eyed beauty that had bested him last night. Throughout the autograph signing, he had stared at each woman coming to him rather intently that it resulted in some swooning on their part.

“She?” Kuon faltered while pulling up his pants. He had a good idea who his colleague was referring to, though he hoped he was wrong.

“The love of my life,” Kijima confessed like a besotted teenage girl. “She bested me in a duel last night and now I can’t get her out of my head. Tell me Tsuruga-kun, is this love?”

“Shit,” Kuon cursed under his breath. _Calm down Kuon. She was in disguise at the party. Kijima has no clue it was Kyoko._

“What was that? I didn’t quite catch what you said,” Kijima paused in buttoning his shirt to glance in Kuon’s direction.

“Sorry, my zipper got… umm caught,” Kuon explained.

“Ouch! Be more careful. It wouldn’t look good for Japan’s top actor to be missing his—”

“Anyway,” Kuon interrupted. “I didn’t think you were the type to fight against a woman.”

“Oh, I’m not. Believe me, I’m not. I found her cute and amusing at first, then I realized I was dead wrong for underestimating her. I was stunned by her agility and skill at wielding a sword. I gave it my all and she still whooped my ass. I was undefeated until she came along.” Kijima sulked.

Kuon snickered. He was damn proud of his girlfriend for the prowess she displayed last night. He couldn’t wait to tell her that she bruised Kijima’s ego. They should probably try to avoid Kijima at all costs for the remainder of the week.

“Well, I’m going to take off. I’ll see you this evening.” Kuon picked up his bag and headed for the door.

“Wait, you still haven’t answered my question! You’re the only one that can help me since you’ve been in love with Kyoko-chan, for what, like forever. I seriously don’t know what your deal is man. You should just ask her out already before someone else snatches her up.”

“Someone like you?” Kuon spat, forgetting to keep up his gentleman persona. He fought himself from curling his free hand into a fist and plowing it into the pretty boy’s face.

“Why not someone like me?” Kijima stepped forward, challenging him without regard to preserving his life. “She deserves someone willing to be honest with her. You can’t keep monopolizing her time by playing the good senpai.”

Kuon smiled his usual ultra-gentleman smile making Kijima shudder.

“There’s your answer Kijima-san. The fact that you can so easily think of another woman while you claim to be in love proves that your heart’s not in it. Get over whatever infatuation you have with her and keep doing you.” Kuon wrenched open the door. Before he slammed it shut, he turned around to pin Kijima with his hard gaze, “And Mogami-san will be mine,” he hissed, keeping his voice low. He didn’t want anyone to hear him make such a declaration. He could trust Kijima from repeating it. The man had kept Kuon’s feelings for Kyoko a secret ever since their time during Dark Moon. It was moot since they were already dating, but he needed to keep up pretenses. He slammed the door shut for good measure.

Kijima snickered. _They can thank me later._ He put on his jacket and planned to look around the convention for the cute little blue-eyed brunette, even if it appeared that she was already in a committed relationship with a foreigner. He wasn’t about to steal another man’s girl—that just wasn’t his style, but he wanted to be properly rejected to get over these feelings.

Kuon glanced at the clock on his phone. He would be returning to the room earlier than anticipated, but first, he had to make a stop. As he neared the stall, he pulled his cap lower on his head and adjusted his sunglasses. He bypassed the long line of patrons and went straight to the side of the booth. He didn’t have to say anything when the older woman behind the counter noticed him and handed him a large bag with a thankful bow. It was a good call on his part for making the arrangement before reporting for work today. BeingTsuruga Ren did have its perks.

As he walked down the hall, his ears twitched when he passed by a pair of giggling female cosplayers. He had no idea who they were supposed to be. He knew that if Kyoko was with him she would know.

“I think that was him. He’s wearing a necklace that looks just like his,” one of the girls whispered. _Shoot! I forgot this necklace is like a Tsuruga Ren beacon to fans even if it is only the prototype._

“Ooh, I heard he was staying in this hotel for work at the convention,” the other commented.

Kuon instinctively quickened his steps. He nonchalantly glanced around the open lobby and noticed the girls following him in his periphery. He cursed and bypassed the elevator for the stairs at the end of the hall, making sure to put a good distance between him and the girls before entering the stairwell. He took the flight of stairs three steps at a time until he reached the next floor, then rushed down the hall for the elevator as fast as he could without raising suspicion. Soon enough, he was back at the room door where his princess awaited. He scouted the hall one last time before entering the room. Aggressive fans were now a new problem threatening to ruin his blissful week.

“Honey, I’m home,” he joked. Coming home to her these last few days had been an absolute dream come true. Even if it meant dressing up in a costume every day, he wished this week would never end.

“Welcome home,” Kyoko hollered. “I’m in the bathroom. It’s okay to come in.” Kyoko blinked rapidly at her reflection and fanned her eyes to keep it from tearing up. The false lashes she just finished applying were much more cumbersome than she expected.

Kuon whistled appreciatively and leaned against the doorjamb. “Excuse me, who are you and where is my girlfriend?” If it wasn’t for those brilliant gold eyes rimmed in heavy wing-tipped eyeliner, he would have never recognized Kyoko.

Kyoko giggled at his joke, glad she succeeded in finishing up just in time for his arrival. She spent a significant amount of time watching makeup tutorial videos and reapplying it until she was satisfied with the results that she lost track of time.

“Do you like it?”

“I do. You have a skill with makeup. If the costumes I saw lying on the bed were any indication of our characters, I’d say you look just like her.”

He stepped into the bathroom and stood before her, then curiously lifted a hand to caress the high cheekbone she had contoured onto her face. Her nose appeared to be more defined, and her eyes popped beneath the long thick lashes.

Kyoko’s breath hitched as his thumb brushed over her lips. That was the one part that wasn’t finished. She still had to line them then apply lipstick and gloss. Kuon’s hand moved to cup the back of her neck and leaned down pressing a soft kiss to her lips. Her eyes fluttered close hoping he would deepen the kiss.

“I brought lunch,” he announced, suddenly pulling away from her. She was incredibly enticing wearing only the hotel robe. Kyoko’s stomach instinctively rumbled at the mention of food. They both laughed as her natural blush added to the artificial layer already coating her cheeks.

“Let’s eat,” Kuon said, guiding her by the hand out of the bathroom.

They sat at the table by the window to eat again. Kuon waited eagerly for her to open her box first so he could watch her reaction. She squealed when she removed the lid and saw its contents. The majority of the food was themed around the Disney princess it represented, be it color or shape. “This is too pretty to eat!” She exclaimed happily. Kuon chuckled, pleased by her reaction.

“How did you get this? The line was always so long,” Kyoko commented, lifting her chopsticks and daintily picking up a glass slipper shaped fruit.

“I have my ways,” he replied cryptically. Kyoko eyed him suspiciously. He probably used those playboy charms on everyone in the vicinity, including the madam running the stall, to procure two of these coveted boxes.

He smiled at her innocently, knowing exactly what she was thinking. “So what’s on the agenda today?” he asked, picking up the piece of nori cut to look like hair out of his box.

They ate while she shared her plans. Since he came back early, they would have even more time getting him ready depending on the route he took with his costume. Kuon took the time to warn her about Kijima’s interest in her and the fans lurking about looking for Ren. They needed to be extra cautious from now on when not in costume.

After lunch, Kyoko held up a mask. “So, I was thinking you could wear this, or I can do your makeup.”

The eagerness in her eyes made him chuckle. He knew which choice she preferred and decided to oblige her. “I think you did an amazing job with your disguise, how about we try it on me?” Her delighted expression told him that he’d made the correct choice. Kyoko excitedly explained the items she had procured just for his disguise as they headed to the bathroom where she had set up shop. He didn’t like that she’d gone through all the trouble and had yet still given him an option.

Kuon washed his face, then changed into the top of his costume. Once he sat on the low stool, a towel was draped over his shoulders to protect the cream-colored shirt. She went to work on what she thought was the most important and time-consuming part of his face, his nose. He stared at her intently as she concentrated on molding the wax over his nose with the idea of making it larger.

Kyoko’s heart fluttered as she began to apply the layer of foundation that would blend his new nose to his natural skin tone. “Close your eyes,” she commanded softly. Those bedroom-brown eyes were too distracting. Kuon smirked but did as instructed. Kyoko took a moment to calm her hammering heart then focused on her task. Things moved quickly now that she wasn’t flustered by him watching her every move.

Kuon, on the other hand, struggled to keep calm and sat on his hands. Having his eyes closed only managed to heighten his other senses. The smell of her floral perfume pervaded his mind. His skin tingled whenever she touched his face to tilt it in a different direction. The wisp of her breath on his skin let him know just how close her face was to his. The memory of the heated kiss they shared this morning danced behind his lids, taunting him. It was pure torture. She finally put him out of his misery by allowing him to open his eyes to apply the eyeliner and mascara.

“All done,” she said excitedly, with a snap of the mascara tube closing. It had turned out so well. He looked just like she imagined an Arabian Prince would.

Kuon’s eyes widened in disbelief when he turned to peer at his reflection in the mirror. He didn’t recognize himself. Makeup aside, the bushy brows she adhered over his real pair and the thick nose completely transformed his face.

“Is it okay?” she asked, apprehensively. “I can change whatever you don’t like.” She wasn’t sure how he felt about wearing so much makeup.

“This is remarkable,” he said, gently touching his nose. “Is there anything you can’t do?”

It was a rhetorical question, but Kyoko answered him anyway. She blushed and began rattling off all the random things she couldn’t do. He groaned internally when she innocently mentioned the art of sword-swallowing. _Kami-sama, save me!_ Kuon begged.

“Let’s get dressed,” Kyoko said, suddenly changing the subject. “We’ll still have some time to walk around before the show starts. I purchased the tickets ahead of time so we don’t have to wait in a long line.”

Kuon changed in the room while Kyoko used the bathroom. He let her know when he was decent so she could come out at any time. Kuon gathered his cape and fanned it out behind him so he wouldn’t sit on it while putting on his shoes. He pulled on the first gold curled boot and tucked the bottom end of his “harem-style” pant leg into it. The sound of her exiting the bathroom drew his attention away from donning his other boot.

“What do you think?” she asked in an anxious voice. She had spent some time gazing at her appearance in the bathroom mirror and thought she looked amazing; however, it was Kuon’s opinion that would be the moment of truth. She couldn’t have asked for a better reaction. His jaw dropped along with the boot he held in his hands, leaving him speechless for several moments.

“You look gorgeous,” he managed to reply once he regained the ability to speak.

Kyoko dipped her head demurely and gazed at him through her long thick lashes. Kuon gulped as his heart skipped a beat. Aside from her beauty, he noticed the way her skin that was previously hidden beneath the robe radiated in the light. He was glad that the costume was designed as a one-piece. Her midriff was covered in a sheer material embellished in gold embroidery and beading, unlike the original animation. He found the source of the sound he heard earlier. When she walked, the beads adorning her hips made a melodious tinkling sound. He wondered how many men would be enchanted by the sound today.

After donning their wigs and accessories, they made their way hand in hand to the convention center. They weren’t even out of the hotel before other guests began to bombard them with requests for pictures which they happily obliged. Kuon even got them to take pictures for him using his phone. It was a lot of fun interacting with other guests with the same interests.

All was going well until a foreign female attendee, dressed as a modern-day risqué Snow White, practically tackled Kuon with a bear hug while shouting, “Prince Ali!”

Kuon had to grab his hat so it wouldn’t fall off with the wig. He stamped down his instinct to Judo throw this woman off of him.

“Unhand him!” Kyoko demanded in character. "By order of the Princess!"

“My apologies, your Majesty, but could I please take a picture with him?” She asked excitedly in broken Japanese once Kuon pried her off of him. He turned bewildered eyes toward Kyoko. “Please!” She begged, holding out her phone to Kyoko.

“Fine,” Kyoko consented since a crowd was surrounding them. “No touching,” she warned. Snow White nodded and handed over her phone.

Kyoko was in stitches after the third fan within the last half-hour tried to throw themselves on Kuon. She had no idea what had come over them. They had gone through the last few days without any incident so what was different today besides the fact that her boyfriend looked extremely handsome and regal in his costume.

“Okay, this is getting weird,” Kuon exclaimed after dodging a pixie. Kyoko nodded in agreement. It was a good thing he had quick reflexes because it became some sort of a game for him to dodge these people.

“The show will begin in fifteen minutes. Let’s start heading that way,” Kyoko suggested. Kuon draped his arm over her shoulder as they navigated through the throngs of people. His senses were on high alert for any more threats.

At the designated theater room, Kyoko was glad she had the foresight to buy the tickets early since their entrance line was short in comparison to the ticket line. That line was at least fifty deep with many dressed as characters from the animated movie _Aladdin_ just like them.

While waiting for their turn to enter, Kyoko heard the people in front of them whispering loudly while glancing back in their direction. She shifted uncomfortably and noticed they weren’t the only ones talking about them.

“Corn,” she whispered. He squeezed her hand in his and glared at those in front of him.

“You’re the couple aren’t you?” The man in a Jafar cosplay addressed them.

“What do you mean?” Kuon asked defiantly. Had they been found out? He wasn’t ready for their time here to end and neither was Kyoko.

“There’s a challenge making its way through the convention to glomp on an authentic-looking Prince Ali and Princess Jasmine. You both fit the description perfectly: gorgeous and tall and exotically beautiful and petite. Since you’re speaking fluent Japanese I assume you’re just vertically blessed and your makeup artist is a pro.”

“Glomp?” Kuon’s brows scrunched in confusion. He had never heard of the word.

“It’s when other fans, particularly female, try to catch you off guard and hug you aggressively.”

“Ohhhh,” Kyoko and Kuon deadpanned in unison. That would explain the erratic behavior of the guests today. The convention was a whole new world to them when glomping was involved.

“It used to be rare to happen here because of the Japanese culture, but the trend is becoming more popular each year.”

Jafar’s friend called out to him. It was their turn to enter. He asked to take a picture of them, then said, “Well good luck to you both.”

They thanked the man for the insight. Kyoko reached into her custom-made tiger purse for the tickets and handed it over to the ticket agent. She had converted a plush tiger into a crossbody bag by removing the stuffing and adding a zipper and strap to it. The furry little purse served as Jasmine’s faithful protector Rajah.

They entered the auditorium and purchased snacks and drinks before finding their seats. Today they would be watching snippets of the movie _Aladdin_ ; hence, the choice of costume for the day. They had seen the movie before in the comfort of Kuon’s apartment, but this particular showing featured a live orchestra that included musicians from the original score.

Kuon glanced around the room to make sure that no one was trying to ambush them while they were idle. He noticed that the men in cosplay as Aladdin mainly wore casual pants and an open vest ensemble. He looked down at his full outfit and wondered why Kyoko had him choose this one in particular when he’d requested the sample.

“Why did you choose this version of Aladdin’s costume for me to wear?” He asked curiously, nodding as a Genie and an Aladdin, dressed in his street outfit, passed by. “Why not that one?”

Kyoko raised a perfectly arched brow at his question. _He can’t be serious?_ He was already getting attacked when covered from head to toe, she could only imagine how horrifying their date could have been if his chiseled chest and washboard abs were exposed for all to see.

He continued to stare at her expecting an answer. Kyoko sighed. “If it’s not for work, no one needs to see what’s mine,” she replied tersely and turned away to hide her blush. Unfortunately, by turning away, she missed the cute little flush that bloomed across the apples of her boyfriend’s cheeks. Kuon laid his arm across the back of her chair with a dopey grin on his face that remained there for the duration of the concert.

Kyoko gushed about the show afterward. She was impressed with the way the musicians were always right on time with the scenes, adding a more dramatic flair to the experience. It was the first time in her life attending a performance by a professional orchestra. All she had to compare it to was her school band’s amateur performances in Kyoto. Kuon took a mental note for a possible future date.

“Did you like it?” she asked Kuon. Before he could answer, a teenage cosplayer exiting the same auditorium missed _glomping_ on her. The girl clearly made a move for Kyoko which made Kuon angry. It was all fun and games until they hurt his beloved with their antics. Kuon chastised her and made it a point to raise his voice. He hoped they would spread the word that he was not playing anymore. Kyoko’s failed assailant returned to her group of friends with her head drooping.

“I forgot about that,” Kyoko admitted and felt bad for laughing at Kuon earlier. It was scary getting caught by surprise like that again. It brought back too many memories.

Kuon’s warning must have worked because the next group of people that stopped them asked for a hug, but were instantly denied. In return, Kuon and Kyoko posed for a picture with them.

“What should we do next,” Kuon asked as they walked the area. The answer came to them through a man dressed as the Jack of Hearts card passing out flyers.

Kyoko thanked him as she took one and read it. She found a clock on the wall that told her they had ten minutes before they stopped taking entries. It was perfect timing.

“What does it say?” Kuon asked, leaning over her shoulder.

“How is your singing voice?” Kyoko asked with a wry smile.

“What?”

“Winner of this Karaoke contest gets a voucher of 15,000 yen to spend in the dealer room. I’ve been meaning to check it out for gifts and souvenirs.”

“You don’t have to go through the trouble. I’ll buy you whatever you want.”

Kyoko pouted, knowing he would say something along those lines. She had no intention of making him spend his hard-earned money on her. She didn’t need the money either, but it seemed like a lot of fun. It would be another great memory for them.

“It’s not about money, silly. It’s about the experience,” she teased and pulled him toward the end of the line of contestants. It looked to be about twenty deep, but lucky for them most people were competing in groups.

The front of the line moved quickly while about ten more people assembled behind them to enter the competition. They entered the lobby of the auditorium where they signed up and looked through the list of songs that had yet to be picked. Kyoko was excited to find that the particular song she had in mind for their duet was still available. They only had to wait another twenty minutes for their turn.

“You’re up!” an usher announced and opened the door to let them inside.

Kyoko gulped and gripped Kuon’s hand with her sweaty palm. She had no idea there would be so many people watching them. Every chair in the audience except for the last few rows were practically taken. As they neared the stage, she now understood why the place was packed. It turned out that Bridge Rock were the celebrity guest judges today. Kyoko wanted to flee.

“Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea,” Kyoko lamented. It would be unfortunate if their LME colleagues discovered them here, together. She stopped at the foot of the stairs that would lead them on the stage. They could still back out. The crowd began chanting, _Jasmine, Aladdin,_ over and over.

“It’s too late for cold feet, princess,” Kuon replied, glancing at the audience. “Plus, you’re not the quitting type.”

“But what about Bridge Rock?”

Kuon glanced at the judges’ table. Her co-stars were encouraging them on to the stage. Kuon climbed up the first couple of steps and looked down at her holding out his hand. “Do you trust me?”

It was so Aladdin that she laughed with relief and took his hand. “Trust in the disguise you made for us and let’s have fun.”

She closed her eyes and breathed deeply. It took her a moment to get into character, but when she opened her eyes, she was Jasmine. Aladdin raised his brows at her in question. She nodded with a smile and followed him up.

“Welcome, Prince Ali and Princess Jasmine,” Hikaru announced with a laugh. “Not breaking out of character, are we,” he joked at the use of their aliases.

Kyoko shook her head. She was scared to speak in case the Ishibashi brothers recognized her voice. Musicians tended to have an ear for that sort of stuff.

“Alright, deep calming breaths. It’s okay to be nervous, but try to have fun,” he advised.

The couple was handed microphones and stood side by side in front of the teleprompter that would feed them the lyrics. They didn’t need it. Kyoko stared at her boyfriend in wonderment as he started them off with the first verse. It shouldn’t have surprised her at all that he could sing. The audience hushed, mesmerized by his velvety voice as he serenaded his princess. Kuon never took his eyes off of hers as he delivered the lyrics flawlessly.

Like her boyfriend, Kyoko knew all the words and didn’t need to read the screen. She lost count of how many times she watched the movie and sang along. Everyone in the auditorium faded into the background as they sang to each other similarly as Aladdin and Jasmine did on that fateful magic carpet ride.

When their duet ended, Kyoko threw her arms around her prince in celebration. The audience went wild with applause and cheers. Kuon set her back down and helped her off the stage. People shouted praise as they walked hand in hand to the back of the auditorium looking for empty seats to watch the rest of the show.

The Ishibashi brothers each took turns announcing their top three picks. Kyoko and Kuon were among them and were asked to join them on the stage. It was now up to the audience to determine the final victor based on their cheers. Kyoko and Kuon won by a landslide as the audience was once again in an uproar when Hikaru called upon them. Shinichi handed Kyoko an envelope with the voucher while Yuusei handed a gold plated trophy in the shape of a microphone to Kuon. They posed for pictures and chatted with the Ishibashi brothers for a few minutes.

“I hope you don’t think I’m weird, but you’re the second person I’ve met with irises in that shade of gold,” Hikaru commented out of the blue.

Kyoko giggled away the awkwardness as alarm bells blared in her head. It was time for them to go. Her eye color was the last thing she thought someone would recognize. Was it so rare? The couple quickly said their goodbyes in disguised voices and headed out of the auditorium before one of her co-stars put two and two together.

“I’m sorry, we didn’t have time to check out the shops,” Kuon said dejectedly as they walked back to the hotel room. He had to report to work in about an hour for the fashion show.

“There’s always tomorrow,” she promised.

“There is always tomorrow,” he grinned, lifting her hand and pressing a soft kiss to it.

### Author Notes

Thank you for reading! I had a wonderful time, once again, participating in a collab with these lovely Ren/KuonKyo shippers. Big thanks to Mimag for initiating this one, to the editors for their hard work, and to Silkie for making it look pretty as usual.

Until next time, ja ne! ^_^

~[Kaname671](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kaname671/pseuds/Kaname671)


	5. Chapter Five

## Chapter Five

[Mimag](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mimag/pseuds/Mimag) [[FFN](https://www.fanfiction.net/u/4389653)]

Humming to herself in the slightly lightened room of the early morning, she twirled around with the thin mauve dress held against her front. he flared skirt floated softly in the air. She already felt half in-character.

Today Kuon had to leave especially early and she had a lot to prepare. She’d woken up just after him. It was enough to miss his departure though, and she was regretting not having the chance to get the sort of goodbye she’d gotten yesterday. Her eyes turned dreamy as she recollected the moment. That kiss was something. Was there anything he couldn’t do? Those lips were too skilled in moving, enticing and pulling her in for more. Her poor heart fluttered in remembrance.

She fanned herself and her eyes glanced unconsciously toward the lower side of the closet. Despite her disappointment, she had used Kuon’s early departure to her advantage and crafted madly in the hour that followed. She finished the sewing. She was finally reaching completion and it was coming along nicely. She was pretty proud of herself. It just lacked a little something, a finishing touch to be perfect. With a little luck she might be able to find it today.

Exceptionally, Kuon wouldn’t come back to the hotel room to put on his disguise. He wasn’t finishing until around midday and there were a lot of things they wanted to see. hey’d decided Kyoko would come to him before they headed for the convention centre. It was risky but worth it.

He took the costume off today, well most of it, so he would be able to don it right away the minute he was finished with his modelling show.

It wasn’t that their hotel room was especially far, but they had attracted a lot of attention these last days and several fans were haunting the corridors of the hotel. There were too many chances of being delayed by detours and hiding from zealous fans if Kuon was to come back to the room to change.

He was to be done at half past one in the afternoon today, barely forty minutes before the first panel would start. With the makeup to do, there already wasn’t much spare time left. If they had to play hide-and-seek with fans they would miss it.

Kyoko coming to him permitted at least thirty-five out of the forty minutes between when Kuon finished and the panel started. The trick would be to not go into his reserved dressing room but in some vacated one where no one would think about looking for Tsuruga Ren. That was the only way they would escape the show unseen. At least, that was the plan once Kyoko came looking for him,disguised and waiting for him to enter a vacant dressing room to follow after him and paint his face.

She dropped the straight but lush ginger wig on her bed. Mauve cocked headdress, white waistband and a light long pink veil soon tagged along on it.

She was ready to switch to make-up when a breakfast she hadn’t ordered arrived. Damn Kuon, he was spoiling her.

She opened her door to let the server bring the tray in and ate. She wasn’t really hungry. She was too excited to focus on feeding herself. She nipped at it half-heartedly until she watched her reflexion in the mirror as she ate. A laugh erupted at the sight. She was in her bathrobe, picking at her food like she was tortured by it and a big frown marring her face as she did her best to eat some. She was the perfect picture of Kuon when he didn’t want to swallow any food but she was forcing him.

She shook her head in amusement. Bad habits. He was her giving bad habits. She couldn’t bring herself to care; she was too happy.

She took a few more bites out of pure obstinacy before giving up and storing all the leftovers in their tiny fridge for tonight. Dropping all pretence, she rushed to the bathroom and grabbed her fancy make-up kit.

Giggling to herself, she caught a brush between two fingers and started to paint her face. Kuon didn’t know about this part. Oh, he knew what fairy-tale it was and also knew she hesitated at length on the version to inspire their costumes. She did a lot of research before this week on the tale and the origin of it and discovered it went far back in the past. There were countless variants, but few described their clothing. It was all guesswork based on the period when it could have happened.

There were few adaptations that proposed it and though the R’Mandy choices gave some freedom, all for the sake to placate people’s views on that matter she was sure, it still let too many openings and too much skin appear. There was no way Kuon’s identity could be concealed if she had left it like that.

So she chose the Disney version. That, Kuon knew.

What he didn’t know was how far she took it, though he could have guessed it if he had assembled two and two together. She told him there would be heavy make-up and that it was a Disney variant.

But it went straight over his head for once and she was kind of excited about that. It would be a surprise.

She applied foundation, mascara, grey eye-liner and grey eye-shadows to make her eyes pop-out and slightly more elongated. Then came the bronze-orange colour on her forehead, her cheeks, and most of her nose except the tip. She switched to the bottom part of her face and smeared on white colour this time, covering the other half of her cheeks, her chin, and going down on her neck too. She accentuated her features, shadowing some parts to make her cheekbones come through and to create the illusion of a thinner and longer nose.

She then delicately melded a small little button of wax on the tip of her nose, making sure it would hold in all situations and wouldn’t inhibit her to breathe through her nostrils before painting it in black, tapping some dots and drawing some whiskers.

She would have the need for the ears to hold up the headdress, so she slowly sat the headband with the fake red but very cute and fluffy ears on top of her head and waited until her make up was perfectly dry before carefully putting on the flowing dress. She slipped her arms into the fuchsia sleeves, loving the gentle weight and smooth texture of it. It felt so thin and silky that she barely felt the cloth on her skin. It molded the top of her body while the skirt itself splayed around her legs to the floor and hid her bare feet.

She attached the white sash, already keeping her wallet, phone and voucher safe, low on her hips and made use of the little cuts arranged at the waist of the dress to hide as much as she could of the belt so that it wouldn’t show. She observed the result in the mirror to check if it was visible, and was glad when it wasn’t the case. She fixed her tail at the back, and once done, she swirled around, arranging it all a bit while testing the fluidity of its movements.

A grin spread across her face. “Perfect.”

No one would be able to guess that tail wasn’t her own real one, hidden as it was.

She removed the ears to attach the wig, then put it back on and settled them inside the cocked headdress to keep it in place before slipping on the pink outdoors slippers that were waiting for her near the bottom of the bed.

She stared at her face in the glass and laughed aloud.

“Pleased to meet you, Sir Robin,” curtseyed a very believable foxy Marian.

They had two main activities planned for the day with maybe a little bonus stop. She couldn’t avoid the dealer room forever, and she might find what she was missing for her secret project. One of the events was to begin at the very end of the day during nightfall, which was apparently the reason why this event was placed so late. She had read on the website that the organizers were sorry for setting it late but wanted to use darkness for some events, and the shorter days of winter made it perfect for that.

Kyoko thought it was a nice twist and considering it wasn’t the only one, she was really excited to see what exactly it would entail. Games room had sustained some changes and just for today instead of the usual video games proposed, other kinds of games were offered. This event was also the very reason she chose those characters. She had been able to see some light teasers on the site and something caught her eye. Something she thought she couldn’t suffer to pass on because it hit close to home though it would have been nice if it had been possible for the last day.

She grabbed her veil and a small backpack, unavoidable today, and left her room, already in character.

* * *

Flashes strafing all around, his tight “princely” attire, and the white noise of too much loudness were what his senses were mostly able to absorb at the moment as cameras clicked one hundred times by the minute and questions were thrown at him.

The show was slowly wrapping up despite the havoc on display and they were finally reaching the end of the interviews. Kuon could already see Kijima being freed of his role and starting to make googly eyes at some photographers. He was the only one left.

Soon though, even he was able to be freed from his duties. A goofy all-too-relaxed Kijima snaked an arm around his shoulders as the area emptied from everyone.

“So, buddy, up for a drink?” he proposed to Kuon.

“I already have plans, sorry,” he said, declining curtly. He was still raging with the way his comrade was pursuing Kyoko since their combat even though he didn’t know it was her.

Kijima seemed to be on the verge of objecting when his gaze was attracted toward something else. He shifted his head to that direction without letting go of Kuon, though.

Feeling stuck, Kuon eventually addressed Kijima on what was so captivating. Kyoko was going to wait for him.

“What are you so intensely looking at?”

“I-…I don’t really know” he idly replied to Kuon. Kuon’s irritation rose a bit and he sighed, finally managing to untangle himself from the claws of Kijima.

But the man in question continued unfazed, seeming more and more focused on the direction he was looking.

“It’s just that my eyes caught something earlier and I can’t seem to get it out of my head. It was a mix of purple, or violet maybe, and red or orange, like a tail, really strange.” He kept babbling absently.

Kuon stared at him like he had lost his mind.

Kijima suddenly whispered loudly. “See?! There!” He pointed at the opposite corner of the big show room where one of the entries figured.

“I didn’t see any—”

But truth be told, just as he was speaking the words, he saw something. For one second. A waving of coloured cloth disappearing just as they looked.

His colleague rubbed the back of his head in frustration. A frown appeared and Kuon opened his mouth to give credit to his friend and apologize for not believing him right away. But his friend turned away to accost some new woman with a big charming smile.

Kuon shook his head at Kijima’s antics and was ready to turn around to the dressing room when his eyes caught the very figure his friend was talking about.

He had to say the person, because he was sure it was a person, was skilled because he had good eyes and he barely caught the sight of some long veil and a tail trailing behind the figure before she or he retreated again.

He guessed the person was coming from the comic-con and that it was a cosplay. At least he was pretty sure—unless tails had started to grow on people when he wasn’t looking, that is.

All of sudden, the figure peeked again around the corner of the wall and though he couldn’t see the face clearly from this distance, he instantly recognized the clothes.

He strangled himself.

Kyoko. It was Kyoko.

With a tail.

He needed to leave. Now.

He needed to see that from closer.

He thanked the supervisors and stylists he crossed paths with as he swiftly tracked back to his own dressing room. He discharged the extravagant princely outfit he was wearing once in his dressing room and quickly put back his normal one. He looked at his watch; he still had some time before the settled time for their meeting. He left the room without a regard behind and hunted for some forgotten and free dress room.

Once that goal was achieved, he donned the smooth costume he brought with him. Forest green breeches and cloak of slightly lighter tone, like grass, for the dress shirt; slipped on in merely a minute. Thick brown belts and high brown boots came soon after.

He then switched his contact lenses for the blue ones and finally added the brown wig, far lighter than the tone of his actual coloration, nearly cinder blonde. Barely brown.

He pulled out the last accessories: bow, arrows, and the vibrant green hat with a flamboyant red feather attached to it.

Eventually, Kuon cracked open the door and passed his head through the interstice looking for her.

Though he would have preferred to just go in search of her freely, he accepted to follow her plan. Thus, he endured it and went back inside. Grabbing his hat from the top of his head and sliding out just his hand, he made the cap dangle outside like instructed.

It took one or two minutes but someone eventually pulled at the hat and an adorable painted-face Kyoko slipped her head through the gap of the door kept mildly ajar. Kuon grinned at her focused expression. She didn’t see him yet.

_How cute!_

He caught her soft hand with two of his fingers and drew her in promptly, making her squeak then gasp when she found herself pasted to his broad chest, caged in his embrace. He glided the tips of his fingers on her nape in a soft caress, capturing her head in the heart of his palm but not messing her make-up. His eyes tingled with sweet amusement.

“You pulled a trick on me, fair Lady,” Robin expressed.

She lifted her head to him and her eyes glimmered with joy before she answered. “I hope you aren’t too disenchanted. It was a surprise, Sir Robin.”

He tugged her closer, breathing on her face. “Rather than that, Milady,” he whispered, leaning in to push with his knee on the door leaf thus making it drop shut, “I feel _bewitched_.”

Brushing on her own, his lips captured hers through his next breath. His arms crossed on her back, crushing her deliciously into his torso as his hands held her hips until one hand soared up toward the top to lose itself in her fake hair. Tempting her lips, his own pressed and pulled, demanding reddition and seducing her poor senses into new moves. And just more. More kissing.

* * *

He let go of her, at last and very reluctantly, but still kept her close. His face hovered over hers, mere inches apart, his quick breath coming out fast as they kept their gazes locked. “You look mesmerizing.”

“What a greeting.” She breathed out, still in a daze. She hadn’t expected it would have such an impact.

“I love cute animals,” he commented, shrugging.

She blushed then snorted. “What a dork.”

“You didn’t tell me,” he countered, grinning.

“I know.”

“It’s cute.”

She pushed him back, a refreshed shot of blood rising to her cheeks and she was suddenly glad for the make-up.

“Will you please stop that? We don’t have that much time if we want to do the same on you too, remember?” She reminded him, trying to distract him. Too many compliments at once. And he needed to stop looking at her like she was some sort of perfect sweet to eat.

“Oh? Me too? I will look like you?” Kuon interrogated, staring at her with interested eyes.

“Well, not exactly like me,” she explained. “But close. I’m just going to make your nose longer than mine and your ears won’t be hidden but that will be the main differences.”

“Where?” he asked, looking around her head. “Where are your ears?”

“They are hidden, I told you,” said Kyoko, stepping back and unconsciously grabbing her headdress when he made a face like he was hunting for them and on a mission.

“They are under it,” he professed and reached a hand out. She slapped his hand away.

“Ouch.”

“They are holding the hat in place, you can’t see them,” she said in warning.

He pouted.

“Not now,” she tempered.

He perked up. “So later?” Kuon excitably inquired with big puppy eyes. She averted her eyes from this massive weapon.

“Yeah…if you want,” she conceded, wondering why he was weirdly obsessed with it and he finally accepted to sit still so that she could do his make-up. She didn’t notice the tension coming back in Kuon as he closed his eyes and she began to put foundation on his face, all focused on the task at hand.

As she told him, she didn’t change much. She defined his eyes in the same tones and painted his face in the same bronze-orange and white colours. She just shaded the contours of his face and the sides of his nose a bit deeper making it look like the orange was slightly darker. And then, when it was the moment to put into place the foxy nose, she used a little more wax than for hers.

Kyoko finished herself: little dots and white whiskers.

She then settled the soft, furry headband ears on his head over the wig and did her best to conceal the band through the false locks so that only the ears would be visible.

She pulled away some metres to observe the finished effect and couldn’t help a giggle to bubble out at the adorableness of it all.

It instantly made Kuon want to look at the glass but she blocked him at the shoulders.

“Nope. Wait a minute. There is still the tail,” she said and then proceeded to attach the red tail to the back of his brown belt and moved the waistband under his loose dress shirt so the tail would wildly peek from under it but the base and fixation point would stay invisible to everyone’s eyes.

Then and only then did she make Kuon stand and turn around.

He stared at his reflection with bewilderment and really tried to resist but laughs cracked out of him.

“I look like a fox. A big fox,” he said when he calmed down.

“That’s kind of the point,” she said, amused.

He chuckled.

“And it’s a damn success! There is no way someone will recognize me. I look like the perfect copy of the adaptation. Well, but bigger,” he conceded.

“And sexier,” softly mumbled Kyoko before looking at the clock on the wall. “We need to go, Kuon!” she exclaimed.

He too glanced at the time before giving her his hand. “Milady.”

Marian smiled sweetly. “Sir Robin,” she replied and took his hand.

Kuon grabbed his arrows and bow and put on his cloak and they dashed through the corridors, running as fast as they could to the centre of the convention. They showed their badges reserved for this event, booked in advance, and eventually made it to the booth and the circle of people already sitting as the storyteller was taking the mic. Two foxes joined the group of people and settled down at the end of it while the presentation started. The panel was about tales, the origin of those, how they started, how they were deformed with time. How starting in the Middle Ages, tales had mostly concerned the telling of anecdotes or more malicious or magical stories—imaginary or fantasy fictions.

The man gave several examples of stories that changed with time but mostly explained how it all began: through the art of oral tradition. People would tell each other stories, inventing imaginary worlds while they gathered together around a campfire to warm themselves or a minstrel would relate stories as they travelled from kingdom to kingdom. The heart of it being it was only oral at the time thus the stories would often get twisted or distorted from one teller to another. He proposed to every participant to dabble in the art of storytelling, one of the origins, like they all did it in the past.

The man smiled in front of the perplexing silence that followed, people not really knowing how to start or how to proceed.

“I’m going to choose one person present here to begin a story, a fairy-tale or something of the sort,” proposed the storyteller. “That first person will tell the beginning of his story aloud and then the people at his right and left will continue the story. But they won’t speak it aloud, they will whisper it in the ear of the next person on the right and on the left,” he explained.

“It will be fun and show the true power of oral storytelling but it will also show how much a story can be distorted,” he finished.

The participants looked a little sceptical but all gladly accepted to attempt.

Kyoko felt very excited. Creating her own fairy-tale must be so much fun, so magical and beautiful; how could she be so lucky?

The man asked the participants to form two half-circles facing each other, one on the left and one to the right, before they would start and waited for people to execute themselves before taking back the mic.

Kyoko and Kuon followed the move and sat next to each other on left side.

Once that task done, he looked at everyone for a few seconds before pointing at one person. Perhaps it was because he looked especially delectable in this costume Kyoko thought, or because their disguises were pretty vibrant but most probably it was because he was standing out with his height that Kuon was the one chosen to start the story.

“You, over there,” said the storyteller. “The handsome Robin Hood with his beautiful Marian at his side, could you stand, you and your charming Lady Marian?”

“Me, Sir?” questioned Robin trying to hegde the attention away as his dear Marian stood too.

“Yes, you. Who else could it be?” said the man, rolling his eyes and making most people chuckle.

“We are humble passerby, Sir.” Robin bowed and Marian curtseyed a little. “No need to concern yourself with us, Sir.”

The man laughed. “You are good at your role, Robin Hood but were you in the circle?” he asked.

“No one can fool you, Sir,” admitted Robin.

“Then you are in, come here,” said the storyteller.

Robin grimaced toward Lady Marian but she smiled happily and gave him a reassuring nod.

They climbed on stage and the man gave the microphone to him.

“Tell us a story, just a few sentences to get us started,” commanded the man and Kyoko took a step back to give some room to Kuon.

Kyoko saw him taking the mic, pondering, and suddenly a smile flourished on his face and he turned very soft eyes at her. She tilted her head, confused. What was he thinking?

“ _Once upon a time,_ ” he started in a clear voice, glint in the eye, “ _a cute little girl with two ponytails wandered in a big magical forest hoping to hide her tears. She knew a clearing with fairies further in there where she would be able to calm._ ”

Her eyes expanded to unknown sizes when she understood what story he was relating.

“ _But when she passed by the bushes and reached it, she found a young boy, lost and nursing his broken wings. The first thing the small girl said upon this sight was ‘Are you a fairy?’ The boy smiled and decided he will be her fairy._ ” Kuon stopped and brushed away the heavy moved tears flowing out from his girlfriend’s eyes and took her in his arms.

“I grasp that this story has a special significance for the both of you?” asked the man.

Kuon nodded and the storyteller let them be while he demanded the other participants to imagine how the story could continue and to whisper it in their seatmate’s ear.

She wanted to talk to him, thank him, say anything but her eyes were too blurred and her mind was obsessed with a thought. Kuon led them out of stage and into a secluded area where she could recover.

_Is he truly saying what I think he is?_

She turned her wet eyes at him, needing the answer.

“I’m really sorry, I didn’t know it would upset you this much, are you angry I talked about it without asking you first?” he interrogated, concerned.

She shook her head crazily and spluttered the question haunting her: “Does this mean you consider our story… our meeting as—-as a fairy-tale?”

His heavenly smile stretched on his face like it didn’t want to ever disappear. “How could I not?” he told her. “There are so many things…What were the chances of meeting again? What—”

She kissed him. “Me too, me too.” She hiccupped in his neck and they stayed like that for a while.

Once calmed down, they ate the leftovers Kyoko packed for them and then Kuon proposed to go listen to what the stories became before going to the dealer’s room as they still had some time before the next event.

They went back and listened to completely morphed stories of Kuon’s retelling of their meeting but she had some issues focusing. She was very hesitant concerning the dealer’s room because she didn’t want to spend too much and she couldn’t steal Kuon’s wallet today to prevent him from having it with him.

But she couldn’t avoid it forever and she did need to find something. So she finally caved. She wouldn’t look at anything but the thing she was looking for. She still had time to buy Maria’s souvenir and if she lingered too long, she wouldn’t ever get out of that place, she just knew it.

Which had been pretty wise because at the activity came to an end, people were talking to them a lot, asking for pictures with them and though this was fine, there were also some groups of people beginning to look suspiciously at Kuon with lot of whispers and stares and excitement so she quickly nodded toward her companion and they went in soon after.

Her first impression of the place was: GIANT. Like really. Next instant, she was engulfed in the magic it brimmed with. She saw many enchanting things. Things she dreamt about having. Huge, magical books that looked very old and that apparently contained even older tales, stuffed fairies plushies she could have sold her soul for if she didn’t already have her own human fairy, and also little cute bracelets in every form imaginable that you could snap around your wrist softly.

All this time, Kuon chuckled softly beside her, watching her gaze at things or fall into La-La-land regularly.

After some time, Kyoko forbade herself to look at what wasn’t strictly accessories for her secret. It was too damn dangerous. She already resisted thrice buying Maria’s souvenir earlier! And she did take her a little trinket that she didn’t consider like an actual souvenir. So, no more blind wandering.

She passed by the booth she needed twice before realizing this one contained all sorts of incredible baubles and hidden wonders if you knew how to look In a small wooden box pushed on the side of the stand, she discovered some tiny, tiny, holed pearls seemingly barely tinted in the box. When you took some in your hand and light went through you could see the pale colours reflected. This was it. This would add the little magical touch to them.

She quickly bought all of them, taking advantage of Kuon looking at another stand a few meters away and tapering off her voucher severely though she didn’t regret it the least.

She and Kuon wandered some more after that and before they knew it, it was the moment for them to go to the game hall. They reached it in time and it was yet another huge and extravagant place making them wonder if the location of the convention had been orchestrated by the President himself.

They entered the salon, looking around and passed the crowd of cosplayers, blown away by the number of decors present. There were at least a dozen of them. She saw cosplayers on an accosted half-broken ship of Prince Eric and Ariel’s rock where some people were sitting and taking pictures. Every ten minutes, fragments of the song _Part of Your World_ would start just above it and cosplayers could either sing along, replay the scene, or just listen to it.

Kuon later showed her the Rapunzel tower where you could try yourself at climbing if you had the knowledge and a garnet. It also possessed hidden stairs she guessed, because she saw people emerging from the top to look through the opening. She briefly wished they could have tried this one too but they didn’t have a coupon for it and they advanced.

They walked past décor proposing to lose you in the fake treasure of the cavern of Agrabah and to try to find the lamp, winning in case of success a coupon for another décor.

Finally, at the other end of the big salon they found it. Quite concealed by the other things, there laid a little but very cute wood décor where you could try to find the tiny pond somewhere there and reenact the scene of Robin and Marian if you wished to.

Quite frankly, Kyoko thought it didn’t seem that impressive and she was pretty sure she could see the pond from where she stood— but she chose this activity for one precise reason: the little wood reminded her of their clearing and she thought it could be fun.

They made their way to the gatekeeper and gave their coupons. But they had barely made a foot on the small path that Kuon took her hand in his and began to run.

“Wander with me, Marian, Lady of my heart,” he demanded as he turned back to her and led her to accelerate their little jog.

“Wait for me, Sir Robin,” said a giggling Marian as she lifted her skirts and followed after him, urged by his hand all the way to the little pond.

The song _Love_ initiated its first measures and they stopped at the pond covered in adorable fake lotus flowers and clovers. Kuon took her in his embrace before brushing their fake noses with tender amusement.

“Not that bad, right?” he uttered with a fond smile as his eyes scorched her with their fond shimmer laying silently inside.

She circled his waist with her arms and coiled up in his sweater covered chest, glowing.

“Not that bad at all,” she muttered in his neck.

They stayed like that for a while, enjoying the warmth of the other before calling it day because they desired no more than being alone at that moment.

### Author Notes

Hello dear readers.

As the organizer, I’m really proud to present you with this Fall collab. I’d like to thank and congrat the amazing writers for participating and bringing so many fabulous ideas along. I’d also like to thank Ncisduckie for helping me in organizing this collab and Black for accepting last minute to shape and design an autumn background for us.

I hope you will still like my humble chapter and that you will love the story we prepared and carefully wrote for all of you. I wish it will bring some happiness to all the people reading this in this difficult period. I hope you are all safe and spending a wonderful fall.

Kisses.

~[Mimag](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mimag/pseuds/Mimag)


	6. Chapter Six

## Chapter Six

[nnjvz](https://archiveofourown.org/users/nnjvz/pseuds/nnjvz) [[FFN](https://www.fanfiction.net/u/10961114)]

Kyoko blushed as she picked up the latest article of clothing from the night before, flung off to the side of the TV stand. Folding the sweater neatly, she placed it on the growing pile of cosplay items. Glancing down at the set of ears that had been laying next to the sweater, Kyoko needed to vigorously fan herself for a few seconds before she was comfortable enough to continue cleaning up their room. _We may need to rethink our living arrangements next time. Yashiro won’t be there to interrupt every time,_ Kyoko thought, remembering the late night phone call Kuon had gotten from their manager. If he hadn’t called about changes to the meet-and-greet location, things may have gone farther than either Kuon or her intended.

Shaking her head, she picked up the pile and brought it over to the closet to be packed away. Luckily Kuon had to leave early again this morning, otherwise who knows how much cleaning up she could have done with him distracting her. Sitting down on the floor beside the closet, Kyoko carefully removed the secret cosplay pieces she had been working on for tomorrow, and gathered her purchases from the day before. Glancing at the clock, she gave herself half an hour to add the finishing touches before she needed to get ready. Searching for Kuon today was going to be extra difficult thanks to the change in location due to overzealous fans, so she had less time to prepare than normal. “The price of fame,” Kuon liked to joke sometimes, when he described stories from his childhood of fans appearing in strange locations just to meet his parents.

Finishing up the cosplays, Kyoko gave a little squeal of excitement, impatient for Kuon to try the outfit on. She couldn’t wait to see him at the charity ball in it. Looking at her own outfit, she gave into temptation and held it up, twirling about the room as if it was her dancing partner. Returning from La-la-land (as Kuon referred to it), Kyoko stopped spinning and carefully packed the outfits back up in their special hiding spot. Leaning over once she was done, she peeked around the extra bedding to make sure her surprise was safely hidden before taking out her clothing and wig for the current day.

Humming to herself, she flitted in and out of the bathroom, doing her makeup, lacing her corset-topped dress and making sure her wig was properly styled. Today would be an interesting mix of cosplays and she was excited to go out in the convention and see what people’s reactions would be. While the overall theme of their outfits was the same, Kuon and her would be doing a cross-over of character designs for their cosplay, taking the characters from different sources. They were lucky they had thought of doing a crossover when Kyoko was choosing their cosplays, otherwise it would have been extremely difficult to pass Kuon as his character without fans instantly recognising him as Ren.

Moving back to the bathroom, Kyoko carefully gathered the beautiful blonde wig and pinned it in place. The wig, partially repurposed from the first day of the convention, was now braided and piled up, with flowers weaved throughout. It was a bit heavy, one of the reasons she wasn’t going to be wearing this outfit tomorrow for the ball, but it wasn’t too bad after a few minutes. Kyoko just hoped she would be able to stand the weight for the whole day. _I don’t envy my character the amount of hair she has to deal with on a daily basis. No wonder she is strong enough to haul people about if she has to carry this all the time._

Smoothing out her purplish-pink skirt, Kyoko did one last glance over her outfit in the mirror, ensuring she had her lanyard, convention badge, and chameleon-detailed purse. _All set!_ Taking a deep breath, she quietly cracked open the hotel door and peeked around looking for any people before exiting the room. Reaching the elevator without seeing anyone else, she breathed a sigh of relief that their precautions from the days before had worked. Cheered over her sneaky departure, Kyoko looked down at her purse and exclaimed, “Pascal, let’s go find our prince!”

* * *

Taking in a deep breath, Kuon walked stealthily to the corner of the curtain barrier and peeked out, mentally berating himself for not planning better earlier. _I should have had Yashiro bring my bag back here for me, instead of leaving it at the bag-check again. There are so many people waiting here today._

A hand clamped down on his shoulder, interrupting his thoughts, as someone leaned in and whispered, “What has you so paranoid?”

Flinching in shock, Kuon glanced to the side at Kijima huddled closeby.

“Yashiro warned me that our fans are being extra intense today. Already, four people have been found hiding under furniture and in our dressing rooms in the past hour, not to mention the ones camping out in the meet-and-greet area last night.”

“Oh yeah, I heard about that. I even saw a few follow me to my room yesterday. But what does it matter now? Just walk out there and have some fun! Who knows— instead of working all the time, you might even enjoy yourself.” Kijima added, winking at the last bit.

Shaking his head in annoyance, Kuon stated, “I’m trying to leave, not get mobbed.”

Sighing in disappointment, Kijima responded, “You’re no fun! You won’t come out for drinks or walk the floor with me. All you do is work, work, work.”

“The last time I went drinking with you alone it didn’t go so well.” Kuon muttered under his breath, flashbacks to the scandal that event had caused briefly flitting through his mind.

“Maybe I should ask Kyoko out again, since it seems like you are married to your work.” Kijima goaded.

Glaring at him, Kuon harshly whispered back, “As I said the other day—Kyoko will be mine,” before checking the hallway quickly once more. Kuon then pulled back the curtain and walked away, hands clenched in an effort not to throttle his friend.

Walking briskly, Kuon dodged a few fans by entering a nearby men’s washroom and exiting through the door on the opposite side. Luckily for him, this actually brought him closer to the bag-check area and he was able to easily grab his things without too much of a commotion. Pulling out his cell phone, Kuon quickly read his messages from Yashiro about where some open rooms should be available for staff. Consulting a nearby convention floor plan, he found a room that he should be able to change in without any issues, and headed that way. Glancing at his watch he grimaced, noting how little time he had left to change and store his things before he was supposed to meet with Kyoko. Speeding up, he quickly found the room he had been searching for and checked it out for fans or other convention staff. It seemed to be clear, so Kuon entered and locked the door behind him.

Quickly stripping, he briefly paused to message Yashiro his location before he got to work pulling on his outfit. The tight dark leather pants were difficult to don at first and took a few precious minutes of his time struggling to properly pull them on. The looser white shirt was infinitely easier to slip on, a fact Kuon was thankful for. Pulling the leather doublet overtop, Kuon admired the stitched leather and metal detailing that R’Mandy had added to the coat, amazed at how intricate and accurate it was. Although with Lory involved it probably shouldn’t be too much of a surprise at how detailed the outfits were designed.

Glancing in the mirror Kyoko had packed for him, Kuon carefully switched out his brown Tsuruga Ren contacts for blue ones. He probably could have gone without the blue, but it didn’t hurt to also change his eye colour as a precaution. That, in addition to using the blonde wig from earlier in the week, should help to throw off some of his more avid fans. Fixing his hair to lay better after being messed up in the bag, Kuon was ready to head back out onto the convention floor to look for his princess. Stowing his phone and a few other personal objects in the handy inner pockets of his coat, he stashed his work clothes and bag behind one of the chairs and unlocked the door. Nodding slightly to Yashrio who was standing across, Kuon silently thanked his manager for his help as he walked away.

* * *

The convention was definitely busier today as the weekend crowds packed into the halls and hotel. Winding his way through the mass of people, Kuon was glad that his additional height helped him to traverse the floor much more easily than those around him. He worried about how Kyoko was fairing and silently cursed the fact that he couldn’t have met with her back at their room. _Although_ , Kuon acknowledged to himself, _we may never have left the room if I went back_ , scenes of last night flitting through his mind. _She’s just too cute sometimes; it makes it difficult to be responsible. Especially with those ears._

Shaking those thoughts from his head before he wandered too far into it, Kuon continued to progress steadily through the crowds. Heading towards the photo-op background area that the convention had set up near the entrance, Kuon continuously scanned the crowd for spots of purplish-pink and a blonde wig, trying to find Kyoko. Reaching the tower background that they had arranged to meet at without any success, Kuon searched for Kyoko again before he pulled out his phone.

Startled to see he had some missed calls, he cursed the loud music and crowds from preventing him from hearing it ring. A few of the messages were from Yashiro, confirming he found Kuon’s clothes and bag. Another reminded him to be extra careful today if he wanted to enjoy his time with Kyoko. The last message was from Kyoko herself. It was her calling to inform him that she had successfully left their room and was on her way. Kuon glanced at the timestamp of that message. She had called twenty minutes ago! Concerned, as this area should only be a ten minute walk from their room, Kuon decided to call her just in case she had run into some trouble.

* * *

Kyoko had a problem. Walking around with Kuon the past few days made her forget how people tended to part for him when they walked, either due to his height or his expression. Now, trying to push through the crowds on her own, she appreciated Kuon’s ability to get them places quickly. After a few more moments of trying to walk against the crowd, Kyoko’s entire body started vibrating and the faint melody of music filled the air. A couple of people around her backed off, and stared at her in confusion until they noticed her pull out her phone from one of the secret pockets in her dress.

“Hello?” She answered.

“Rapunzel! Where are you?” Kuon asked.

“I’m just reaching the ticket area now, you?”

“I’m at your tower. Wait where you are and I’ll come get you!”

“But Prince—” Kyoko started to protest.

“It’ll be easier for me to move through the crowds,” he reasoned.

“But how will you find me?”

“I’ll always find you. But stay on the call and let me know if you see or hear me.”

“What do you me—”

“RAPUNZEL!” Kuon shouted out loud in English, pushing back into the crowd. A few people in and not in cosplay had come up to him for a picture as he was listening to his voicemails and calling Kyoko, but he just smiled apologetically and motioned to his phone. Now as he called out for Rapunzel, a group of them that had been gathering nearby started to follow in his wake.

“Rapunzel! RAPUNZEL!” Kyoko could hear Kuon shouting through the phone quite clearly, but as she stood off to the side of the flowing crowd, she could hear him distantly over the noise of those around her. Glancing in that direction, she could partially see a shock of blond hair moving above the mass of people.

“I see you! Head straight and a bit to your left.”

“RAPUNZEL! Great, let me know when I’m closer.”

Watching him weaving about, past clusters of convention goers walking and standing in the hall, Kyoko giggled, noticing the group of people following behind him.

“RAPUNZEL! What’s so funny?” Kuon asked, delighted to hear her tinkling laughter.

“You have an entourage, my prince.”

“RAPUNZEL! I what?” Turning around slightly, Kuon finally noticed the group of people that had been watching him at the tower earlier. “I guess we shall have to put on a show.”

Still giggling, Kyoko replied, “I guess so!”

Now almost upon her, Kuon could finally make out his petite girlfriend among the rest of the convention. She looked beautiful in her dress, with her hair full of flowers and a twinkle in her eye as she watched his progression.

“Rapunzel! I have finally found you.”

“My darling.”

Kuon pulled Kyoko in for a hug, leaving a light kiss on the top of her head.

* * *

A small smattering of claps and cheers rang out from the crowd that had been following him. A few of them stepped forward after a little while and asked, “That was adorable! Do you mind if we take your picture?”

“Your outfits are amazing!”

“I love your hair! How did you get the flowers to stay in place?”

Posing for a bit, Kuon and Kyoko talked with the crowd, fielding questions about their outfits and how they have found the convention. There was even a great surprise when a familiar red garbed man popped into the crowd.

“Rapunzel and her prince! Well met! I thought I recognised that profile and build. I take it you are not hunting for wolves or dueling men today?”

“Little Red Robin Hood! Well met indeed.” Kyoko answered, laughing in delight. “No wolves yet. Only towers to escape from.”

“That was amazing what you did a few days ago! The party was buzzed for hours!”

With a blush on her cheeks, Kyoko replied, “Thank you again for the use of your sword!”

“No problem!”

* * *

They chatted with Robin Hood and the rest of the group for a bit longer until they realized they were taking up quite a bit of the hallway, blocking people from easily walking around. Saying their goodbyes to the crowd, they headed off further into the convention. With no panels planned for the day, they wandered about, briefly walking around the Artist’s Alley. Every so often they would be stopped for pictures, but surprisingly they were able to move about more easily than other days.

As they were passing one of the rooms, they were invited by some of the convention staff to join in a game of cosplay chess. Curious, the pair agreed and were led to an area with a large grid marked off on the ground and a collection of chairs around it.

“Ah! Rapunzel and her Prince! Welcome!” A petite fairy in a red dress with a pointed hat exclaimed. “If you would just head over to the black side of the board, Fauna will direct you to your place.”

Calling out to the woman in a green dress with small wings at the back and a pointed hat, she said, “A king and queen for you!”

“Perfect! Prince, if you would just stand there,” Fauna said, grabbing Kuon’s hand and pulling him onto the board. “And you, lovely Rapunzel, you can stand here.”

As she directed Kyoko, she looked down and cried out, “Oh look! Those are amazing! I almost swore you were walking around barefoot!”

“They are amazing aren’t they!” Kyoko said, looking down at her flesh-coloured five toed shoes, an ingenious R’Mandy creation as part of the fairytale line.

There were a few minutes of gushing over shoes and the surrounding outfits by Kyoko, Fauna, and some of the other ‘chess pieces’ on the black side while they waited for all the spots to be filled and the chairs of the audience to be taken.

“Okay everyone!” Flora finally called out a few minutes later. “Merryweather will go through the audience and choose two lucky people to be the commanders for each side.” She motioned to another woman in a similar fairy garb, just this time in blue.

A young man dressed as a tengu, a bird-like man, was chosen as the leader for the black side versus a young female Jack and the Beanstalk. All the participants had a great time mock battling when they claimed another’s space and the crowd enjoyed the often over-dramatized death scenes the conquered player portrayed. Kyoko acted out an elaborate death as one of the white knights, a Bluebeard with a sword, moved around and stabbed her from behind. The agonised, “Rapunzel, no!” from Kuon added greatly to the tragic effect as she lay gasping for breath, hand stretched out to him. In the end, having lost his queen, Kuon was cornered into checkmate and surrendered, giving white the victory.

* * *

They stayed behind to talk with some of their fellow players and enjoy some time to rest while watching the next match of chess play out. Soon though, they started to feel tired as the exhaustion of six days of the convention started to catch up with them. Saying goodbye, they made their way back to their room. There were a few last eventful encounters as a Prince playfully yell-sang “Agony! Beyond power of speech!” at Kuon as they passed and a woman dressed as Mother Gothel pretended to lure Kyoko away while saying, “Come now, Mother knows best.” After stopping to take a few pictures with them, Kuon and Kyoko hurried on their path, craving the comfort of their room. The elevator area was blessedly free when they arrived, so they didn’t need to worry about potentially being followed back upstairs.

Ordering room service once they arrived, they decided they would practice the waltz they learned before going to sleep, to be ready for the ball tomorrow. Pushing the furniture out of the way as best as possible, they turned on some music and danced around their room. Consulting the video of their lesson a few times, they enjoyed spinning and twirling about the room, holding each other close, until both were too tired to dance anymore. Collapsing onto the bed, they lay there entwined, smiling as they drifted off to sleep.

### Author Notes

It’s been so much fun creating this story with everyone, and I hope you all enjoyed my continuation of the fairytale convention adventures! I really wanted to have Kyoko and Kuon be Rapunzel and Flynn, as it would have been hilarious to see one of them walking around with a frying pan.

Unfortunately, I couldn’t figure out a way that Kuon could be sufficiently disguised and not be recognised as Ren. But this way I got to watch the Agony scene from Into the Woods several times, so that was fun. As always, thank you so much to my fellow authors for the opportunity to write with you all, and to all you lovely readers, thank you for reading!

~[nnjvz](https://archiveofourown.org/users/nnjvz/pseuds/nnjvz)


	7. Chapter Seven

## Chapter Seven

[Blushweaver](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Blushweaver/pseuds/Blushweaver) [[FFN](https://www.fanfiction.net/u/6331426)]

“Done!” declared Kyoko, cutting the last string with a quick snip of her scissors. It had been close, but she’d managed to finish her project just in time. She’d seriously underestimated how long everything had taken, but the effort was well worth it. She couldn’t wait to see the look on Kuon’s face when he saw her.

Her phone buzzed and she picked it up, grinning when she saw it was a text from Kuon. It slipped away a second later.

_ “Sorry Princess. Work is going to go an hour longer than expected. I don’t think I’ll have time to come back to the hotel. I’ll meet you at the ball?” _

Kyoko considered the possible dangers. She was mostly concerned about him showing up to the ball without any makeup to alter his appearance. The final cosplay didn’t contain any mask or changes in hair color to help hide his identity.

_“What about your disguise?”_ she sent back.

_ “I’ll get some makeup from the department. They should have something I can use.” _

Considering they were professionals that could help Kuon better than she could with such things, she consented, throwing her phone back onto the bed.

Kuon had been busy with work literally all day. The crowds for the con were at their largest, the companies making as much use of their models and actors as possible. Kuon had been forced to sit on a judge’s table for a cosplay contest as well as for two other panels that morning, both of which she’d attended quietly and without a costume. He was currently busy with photo ops, which was an event where people could pay money to take pictures with their favorite celebrity.

Kyoko had considered surprising him by joining his line but had ultimately decided against it. After scolding Kuon for his reckless use of money it would be hypocritical for her to splurge hers on a picture she could have gotten for free—especially when she already had her own pictures that no one else would ever have.

She grinned, thinking of the silly picture they had taken at the beginning of Kuon with his eyes crossed and tongue sticking out. She really should have taken more pictures with just him and her.

Her phone buzzed again and she dove for it on the bed.

_“Alright. See you soon, Princess.”_

Squealing, Kyoko hurried to put on her makeup. She kept it light, focusing on giving herself a healthy shimmer that helped enhance her natural beauty (even if she wasn’t too sure it was a quality she possessed). Next came the gems and sparkles that would frame her face. They traced her brow and down her cheekbones, mimicking a butterfly’s wings. She checked to make sure the sides were even. Good. The glue was solid. It would hold for the night.

Next came the wig. It consisted of two simple braids twisted across the top of her head to then gather in a bun at the base of her neck. A string of gold ribbon and white gems had been woven into the individual strands.

Last came the dress. She pulled it on, careful of her hair and makeup as she did so. The dress was heavy, a mark of the quality of the material it was made of and it took some time for her to manage the strings on the bodice herself. But after some perseverance, she was done.

Kyoko stood in front of the mirror, slowly turning as she examined herself in the mirror. Yes. This looked better than she had hoped. The Renaissance-era dress was such a gentle gold it was almost white, with an explosion of detailed beading cresting the front of her collar. The sleeves sat low on her shoulders, but there was no danger of them slipping off.

She’d been skeptical of this outfit, thinking it a random pick for R’Mandy to choose among the plethora of Cinderella sources out there. But trying on this dress had convinced her, as had watching the movie. Ever After was now her favorite iteration of the Cinderella story ever made.

And it definitely had nothing to do with the moment in the movie where Danielle had walked out wearing enormous fairy-like wings. Definitely not.

Kyoko grinned at the wings she had so painstakingly made this past week. The little beads she found on the show floor had added the perfect touch once she’d woven them into the framing. She gently swayed, watching as the wings caught the light and fluttered perfectly from her back. She couldn’t wait to spend the evening with Ren.

* * *

Kuon’s face hurt from smiling. The event coordinators had accidently sold over a hundred extra tickets which had forced him to spend an hour longer taking pictures with random people than he had expected. Thank goodness he had been the last celebrity of the day or it would have caused some major issues.

As it was, he’d been unable to get a professional to help him with his makeup as everyone had already left. One of the staff had been gracious enough to apply some basic contouring on his face as she was dressed in cosplay herself. It hardly covered up his identity, but it would have to do. The lights would be low anyway. There were plenty of occasions where celebrities had walked a con floor without being properly recognized. It shouldn’t be a problem.

Ducking into an empty bathroom, he pulled out his bag. Kuon eagerly shed his business suit and tie, putting on the last R’Mandy cosplay for the week. It consisted of a white gold doublet with enormous puffy sleeves and thigh-high black boots. Pushing his hair back, he ran some product through it to give it a slight wave. Other than that, there was nothing to change.

He was grateful that R’Mandy had chosen this iteration of the Cinderella story, which meant straying from older, more traditional outfits that would have included wearing a pair of tights. As it was, the outfit was generic enough to be considered a suitable, yet well-designed medieval outfit without necessarily being tied to Prince Henry. It was a helpful selling point of the ensemble.

He was eager to see Kyoko’s outfit. He was sure she’d tinkered with her own outfit as she had done so with his. Having never personally seen the movie, he wasn’t sure what to expect as she’d purposefully hidden the last outfit from him in what had obviously been meant as a surprise. He’d politely pretended not to notice the extra hours she’d put in and the stealthy hidden supplies packed behind the different furniture in their room. He knew his adorable girlfriend too well to miss that she was up to something.

He briskly strolled from the room, so lost in the possibilities of what Kyoko might be wearing that he forgot to check if the coast was clear. His blood chilled when he heard a collection of shrieks from behind him. He immediately recognized the high-pitched tone.

“Shoot.” His fans that had been so intent on finding him had finally done so.

He didn’t bother looking. Kuon booked it, skidding across slippery tile as he rounded the corner. The sounds of pursuit followed, their hunter’s call giving speed to his flight. He was running down another corridor when he realized he couldn’t continue. This path would lead straight out into a main hallway which was sure to be packed with people. And nothing would draw more attention to himself than running full pelt from the entrance with a pack of hyenas in pursuit.

He had to shake them.

He rounded the last safe corner.

Someone collided with him. They almost fell, legs and arms getting in the way as they were flung about, but Kuon managed to right himself. Kuon looked down at the man he had bowled over, groaning when he saw who it was.

“Ow, where the hell are you going?” said Kijima. The man picked himself off the floor. “I didn’t think you were a little kid that needed-”

Someone laughed nearby. His pursuers were almost upon them.

Kuon grabbed Kijima by the shirt, tossing him through a random door. He threw himself in after Kijima, closing the door as fast as he could without slamming it. Laughter and shrieks passed him on the other side a second later.

Kuon let out a relieved sigh. That had been way too close. He’d avoided them, for now.

Kijima laughed heartily. “I see the fans finally found you.” The annoying man looked far too pleased with this notion. “They’re probably desperate, since it’s the last day for them to corner you.”

Kuon leveled him with a measured stare. He was not in the mood to deal with this fool. Thankfully, there were windows in the room they had flown through, providing enough light to show it was an unused empty space. But turning had given Kijima the opportunity to really see what he was wearing as well as the makeup he had applied to alter his appearance. Kijima’s eyes narrowed, doing a slow up and down of Kuon. Understanding bloomed in his face.

“You _have_ been walking around the con.” He looked pleased with his discovery, annoying Kuon further. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“As much as I love your company, Kijima, I was obliged to spend my time with someone else.” He turned his back on Kijima, cracking the door open to see if the coast was clear. A flash of movement had him closing it. Five second later, someone tried to open the door. He held it fast, praying the person on the other side assumed it was locked. After a moment, they did.

Damn. Just how many people were there running around trying to find him? He didn’t dare hope it was just other work personnel. Few people sounded that happy while on their job.

Kijima suddenly let out a triumphant “ _Ha!_ ” making Kuon jump. He rounded on the fool.

“Are you trying to get us caught?” he hissed.

Kijima smiled in the face of Kuon’s ire, scrolling through something on his phone.

“When you say, _‘Kyoko will be mine,’_ ” said Kijima with a teasing note in his voice. “Did you mean to say that she _is_ yours?”

Kuon couldn’t keep his face blank. Kijima’s smile widened and he held out his phone for Kuon to see. It was an online forum with an extensive collection of photos and videos of him and Kyoko during the week.

Kuon numbly took the phone from Kijima, struggling to push down his sense of panic as he scrolled through the contents. The original poster (OP) had managed to identify Kyoko in each of her outfits, singling her out as the best among the other R’Mandy models roaming the con floor. Her dedication to her roles while interacting with others as well as the extra trinkets and accessories she’d created herself had been widely appreciated as a fellow cos and roleplayer.

He noted, with some relief, that the OP all but ignored Kuon, the poster likely male. His preferences were obvious by the attention he gave to Kyoko. The commenters, however, were more than happy to make up for this oversight. Kuon glazed past the typical thirsty posts about him, nothing in their content containing anything he hadn’t seen before.

The other people in the forum had been more than happy to supply their own pictures and videos of him and Kyoko, effectively creating a comprehensive narrative of their time at the Con. They had pictures of each day’s outfits, including when Kuon had dressed as a bear the first day. People gushed about the purses she’d obviously handmade and there were dozens of videos of Kuon calling out to her as Finn, the crowd parting and laughing as the two reunited.

The thread turned in a collaborative scream about how cute they looked together as a couple. Kuon couldn’t help his grin as he continued to scroll through, eager to see what else they had. There was everything from GIFs of the annoyed look on Kyoko’s face as someone glomped him in his Ali outfit, to pictures of him in his Beast attire dancing in the practice room with her as Bell. Someone had filmed a video of their karaoke night from start to finish along with sing-along lyrics at the bottom of the screen.

The most popular post was a video of Kyoko’s sword fight with Kijima. That particular video had zoomed in on Kyoko’s worsening expression as Kijima had challenged Kuon. In bold letters, the video included at the top _“I’ll be shooting for my own hand!”_ followed by a GIF of Merida shooting an arrow. They had cleverly made Kyoko’s finishing blow to Kijima look like an arrow striking him down.

Out of everything though, his favorite had to be the short video of Kyoko dressed as Marian, spilling happy tears as Kuon whispered in her ear the beginning of their fairy tale story. He made a mental note to rediscover this post later and save the video, along with many others.

His heart suddenly jumped when he saw a top commenter’s response to the collection.

_‘i didnt realize that Kyoko was a model for rmandy! i loved her role as Natsu. she was so SAVAGE! it got me into dark moon and lotus of the mire is on my watch list. of course she was the best of the models. that girl is a chameleon!’_

Someone had recognized her. They all knew she was an actor.

Pride swelled for her. She had received recognition in an environment where Japanese actors were not as popular or well known. He couldn’t have been happier with her success. But as happy as he was at her recognition, his smile disappeared as he read on.

Someone had also recognized him as Tsuruga Ren.

It was the poster from the forum he and Kyoko had found several days ago. He’d originally been joking of the idea of the huntsman in the picture being Tsuruga Ren. Now the person was convinced he had been right.

The other members of the forum were quick to dismiss the theory, convinced that Kyoko and her mysterious man were obviously a couple and the world would know if Tsuruga Ren was taken. But Kuon had to be sure. He scrolled madly through the forum.

The phone was suddenly snatched from his hand.

“Hey!”

“Browse on your own phone,” said Kijima, scrolling through with a lazy flick of his thumb. “Serves you right for not telling me it was Kyoko who beat me at that duel. I can’t believe my little champion is taken. Ugh, and I had my heart set on her too. Not only did I lose her, but I didn’t get to help you two get together as I planned. Unless you’re not yet together?”

Kijima raised his eyes from the phone, obviously expecting an answer. When Kuon didn’t provide one, the man’s delight returned.

“Need some tips?” said Kijima. “I know just the thing that can help.”

“I don’t need your help, thank you.”

“Which means you’re already together.”

“Or maybe it means I wouldn’t welcome whatever help you’d offer.”

“It’s not like- oh. Uh, that’s not good.” Kijima’s expression was suddenly very serious, eyes zipping back and forth across the screen.

“What’s wrong?” said Kuon.

“You need to go,” said Kijima. “She’s waiting for you.”

The man held out the phone again. Kuon took it, reading the newest post.

All of them were pictures of Kyoko wearing a breathtaking dress. It was a faint gold, the skirt reaching all the way to her feet and adding some extra height to her usually small figure. Her hair had been gathered up in twist across the crown of her head, something silver shimmering in its braids. That alone would have been enough to leave him speechless. He’d seen the dress before as a sample in R’Mandy and he had been sure Kyoko would wear it very well, but it was what she had added to the ensemble that left his mouth dry.

Kyoko had wings. _Wings._ Beautiful, large wings that were both dynamic and delicate in style. The camera had obviously been unable to catch the intricacies and detail that were only partly visible, catching the occasional sparkle of light in the dark image, but it was more than enough to convey the general effect. Stunned by her beauty, it took him several seconds for the rest of the post to register.

Kyoko stood alone among a crowd of cosplayers, fists curled by her side, face blank and emotionless as something that looked suspiciously like a tear glistened in the corner of her eye. He scrolled through dozens of similar pictures, each commenter asking the same question: ’ _WHERE IS HER PRINCE?’_

Kuon was a fool. A damn fool for making her wait. This was the event she had most been looking forward to the most and he had stood her up. He had made his princess wait.

Kuon had one foot out the door before he even registered moving. Kijima suddenly yanked him back inside, slamming the door shut.

“Did you not hear those girls?” hissed Kijima, and now Kuon did hear them. He would have walked right out into a mob of fans had Kijima not stopped him. “You can’t just go waltzing out there. Not if you want to keep your relationship a secret.”

Kijima was right. He couldn’t escape, but waiting here would inevitably lead to his discovery. If he went out to meet the fans, then he would never escape in time to find Kyoko. That left only one option.

“Swap with me.” Kuon was already unbuttoning the front of his doublet, struggling his way out of it. “You can lead them away.”

Blessedly, Kijima caught on, pulling his own shirt off over his head. “Ha! You know, if we’re caught like this there will be very different rumors in the tabloids tomorrow.”

Kuon threw his costume at the man a little too hard, but Kijima caught it with a good-natured laugh and tossed back his own top. Kuon pulled on the red designer sweater. It had a tailored cut making it somewhat tight around the armpits leaving the sleeves and a touch short. Thankfully, Kijima’s jacket was large enough to hide any ill-fitting discrepancies their different proportions created.

Kijima still struggled with the buttons on Kuon’s costume, the loops off by one. The doublet paired with Kajima’s jeans looked ridiculous, but Kuon prayed the deception would be enough.

Kijima finally managed the buttons, sweeping back his hair with an annoying smirk. “You owe me, Ren. I want to go on double dates.”

Kuon grunted. “So long as your date can keep their mouth shut and Kyoko agrees, I don’t care.” He would endure Kijima for Kyoko’s sake, insufferable man.

Sweeping back his hair and giving a happy salute, Kijima slipped out the door.

Fanatic screams erupted. He heard Kijima’s feet pounding the hall as he ran, the noise following after them. Kuon made himself breathe for ten seconds before checking the hall again.

The coast was clear. The fans had taken the bait.

Kuon ran. He skirted the edge of the still crowded halls, glad most people were too tired to give him a second glance. He saw more than one female clutching their high heel boots, lamenting their sore feet with a tired but happy smile. Due to the size of the conference center, it took him several minutes to make his way through the stragglers and to Ballroom A.

He stopped at the entrance, the closed double doors doing little to mute the music issuing from inside. Rather than the heavy thudding of the previous party they’d attended, the room issued a signing lilt of strings and orchestra. How Kyoko would love to waltz to this in her dress, beaming and laughing in his arms.

But Kuon couldn’t go in.

He was breathing hard, sweat trickling down his back and unable to take another step forward. He probably looked ridiculous, features slightly altered from makeup and wearing a mismatch of cosplay and normal clothing. If he went inside, he would be recognized as Tsuruga Ren, barely concealed as he was. The online posts guaranteed it.

Kyoko and Kuon hadn’t talked about making their relationship public. That would come after telling Lory, so it made no sense to put the cart before the horse. They enjoyed their privacy and Yashiro kicked up enough fuss about the two of them, as did his mother and father. Adding Lory and the rest of the world was more than they were ready for. But did Kuon want them to know? Did he want the freedom to kiss her or pull her close without fear of who would see? The answer screamed immediate and loud in his head. _Yes_. Yes, he would like nothing more than to be able to do that.

But he did not know what Kyoko’s feelings were.

Kuon pulled out his phone, hitting the speed dial and holding it up to his ear. It didn’t connect, the ringtone sounding endlessly without catching her voicemail. He cursed, sending a text message, and then another. None of them went through. Stupid reception.

He was about to walk inside and find a different way to get in contact with her when someone spoke. The voice was deep and masculine, completely taking Kuon off guard as he hadn’t heard anyone approach. He turned to the voice, eyes widening in surprise.

“Perhaps I can be of assistance?”

* * *

Kyoko’s smile dimmed as she waved goodbye to the latest group of Cinderella iterations asking for a picture with her. There were quite a few of them here, the location and event a perfect excuse to pull out a cosplay that required a ball gown. Kyoko impatiently glanced at her phone for the hundredth time in the last hour.

No new messages from Kuon.

She typed a message wondering where he was before deleting it. She’d already sent ten others. Another one would not help. She slipped the phone into the hidden pocket she’d sewn onto the dress, willing herself not to cry. It wasn’t like she didn’t understand the importance of his work. They were both dedicated and professional, she really liked that about him. So she shouldn’t be mad or upset that he still wasn’t here despite saying he’d show up an hour ago.

But no matter how much she told herself to be reasonable, her awkwardness and misery grew worse with each minute. Her presence plastered to the wall like the wilting flower that she was had attracted some attention. More than one prince charming had come to ask her for a dance, but she’d declined, stating she was waiting for her own Prince Henry to come.

Maybe she should have waited outside the ballroom. A group of Disney princess cosplayers were looking at her, pity evident in their expression. Kyoko cracked her best smile, giving them a friendly wave to show them she was totally okay. It convinced some of them to stop staring, but she still felt their occasional looks.

She checked her phone again. Still no new messages.

She needed a drink.

Kyoko poured herself some punch at the drink table, her throat so tight it was hard to swallow the sweet liquid. Maybe she should just go back to the hotel room and wait for him there.

A pang of regret hit her heart at the thought. She’d been looking forward to this event. To showing him the result of hours of dedication and spend a magical time dancing in a beautiful dress. It was literally a childhood dream come true. But she wasn’t a child anymore. She was an adult, and as such, she needed to be reasonable.

She threw her empty cup in the trash, glanced at her phone —still no new messages— and gave a large sigh.

She really should leave. How many times had she said that to herself?

Just then, someone in the most absurd cosplay walked toward her. She had no idea of the gender or age of the person as they were literally a walking 3D model of a castle, complete with several towering spires and flags. If the person wasn’t moving, she’d have thought it was a well rendered prop.

They stopped in front of Kyoko, blocking her view of the dance floor.

“Danielle de Barbarac?” said the person in the cosplay. “Your prince is waiting for you.”

Surprised, Kyoko was instantly wary of this stranger in the costume. She lifted her chin, sinking back into her role as Danielle.

“I’m afraid I don’t understand you,” said Kyoko. “Who are you?”

“A friend of your beloved Prince.” The castle bobbed in a playful manner, beckoning her away. “Come. I’ll show you.”

Like hell she was going to walk away with someone as suspicious as this. She stood her ground. “We agreed to meet here.”

“Yes, but things changed. He encountered some difficulty escaping from work. Specifically, his fans.” Kyoko froze, wondering how much the mystery person knew. The castle seemed to sense this. “They were very enthusiastic, requiring some creativity for him to avoid. As such, he was unable to enter without revealing his identity.”

Relief flooded her. This made sense. He was okay. It was just his crazy fans that had gotten in the way. Whoever this was obviously knew about their situation. She gestured to the castle.

“Lead on, good Sir.” She assumed it was a man. “I will follow.”

The castle walked out the front doors and down the hall, passing a few people on the way. The castle stopped by a door to a room, and Kyoko looked in.

And there he was. Kuon, wearing a ridiculous combination of clothing, but very much her Kuon.

Kyoko rushed inside, the door closing behind her as she flung her arms around him. Kuon met her embrace halfway, hugging her tight against his chest.

“I’m _so_ sorry,” he murmured. “Work went late and then I got cornered by some fans. They saw me in my outfit and then my phone wasn’t working…”

“I understand. It’s okay. I was more worried you had been hurt or something.” She pulled away, now giggling at the contouring he’d applied to alter his appearance. “Your castle friend was right. You’d have been instantly recognized if you’d walked into the ballroom. How did you think this would be enough?”

But Kuon wasn’t listening. He was staring, a familiar awe in his gaze that made her blush. Even after all this time, it thrilled her to be so openly admired like this by him. She’d seen it enough to know where his mind was at the moment.

“The pictures didn’t do it justice.” He traced the sparkling gems cresting her brow and cheeks, his finger smooth on her skin. “You are beautiful.”

Kyoko beamed. It was everything she had wanted. His reaction. The feeling in his words. She had wanted this. To not only enjoy the evening with him, but to stun him, for at least one moment, in the same way he continued to stun her everyday.

Then something he said registered. “Pictures? What pictures?”

The question jolted Kuon out of his daze. “Ah, well. It seems our presence online has expanded in the last few days.”

He explained the online forum to her, Kyoko’s dread rising with each second. That had been too close. If Kuon hadn’t been detained by his fans, he would have walked right out onto the ballroom floor, confirming the theory of who he was and revealing their relationship to the world.

“You made the right choice.” Kyoko grimaced. “I’m not ready to go public yet.”

A loud voice came from the entrance of the room. “That much is obvious since you haven’t even bothered to inform _me_ yet.”

The castle had entered the room, a dent in its siding suggesting the doorway had been a touch too narrow for the outfit. Just as Kyoko realized she recognized the voice, a drawbridge at the front of the castle lowered.

Kyoko blinked in surprise.

“President!”

Framed in a fully functioning castle entrance, Lory Takarada’s face looked thoroughly put out.

“How many years have I supported the two of you?” he said, annoyed. “And this is the thanks I get? Not even a message about your relationship or a hint. You actively hide it from me?”

Kuon was quick to recover and defend their choice. “We didn’t want too much fuss. We wanted to take it at our own pace without outside interference.”

“Which is exactly why you needed to tell me,” cried Lory. “I’m the head of LME. I would have made absolutely certain the two of you would have not only been left alone, but been essential in keeping your secret.”

“You would have been a pain, is what you would have been,” Kuon muttered.

Lory huffed indignantly. “Do you really think that if you had come to me in sincerity to ask for my assistance, I would have kicked up a fuss?”

Neither Kyoko nor Kuon hesitated in answering at the same time.

_ “Yes.” _

“Ah.” Lory looked flustered. “I mean, It’s only natural. I’m very excited for the two of you and why would it be such a bad thing to celebrate?”

Kyoko couldn’t help it. She laughed, finding the whole thing ridiculous.

“What are you even doing here?” she said, suddenly suspicious. “Have you been spying on us the whole time?”

Lory kept a carefully blank face. “I’ll let you come up with the answer to that.”

Kuon scoffed, looping an arm around Kyoko’s middle. She grinned, happy that she didn’t have to hide it in front of Lory anymore and surprised at how good it felt. The man’s teasing didn’t seem so daunting anymore.

Lory eyed the two of them, his glare eventually landing on Kuon. “Really. The two of you are great actors, but you must get a touch better at subterfuge. Ordering those R’Mandy samples under a pseudonym was a good idea. Except that every costume was a perfect opposite to the ones you were given. It wasn’t hard to put two and two together.”

Kyoko eyed Kuon quizzically. She’d been told that her costumes had been given to him as a gift. Had he ordered them himself? She was suddenly horrified at the enormous amount of money he must have spent on her.

“Ren,” she said, her voice low in an unmistakable _‘You’re in trouble’_ tone. “What have I said about spending money on me?”

He didn’t even have the decency to look abashed. “I won’t apologize for spoiling you. You deserve it.” He waved at Lory. “Since you are so keen to help us keep our relationship a secret, would you mind standing guard outside the room? I’d like to enjoy a dance with my princess, alone.”

Lory scowled, but raised the drawbridge over his face, insisting that Kuon owed him. Then he was gone, leaving Kyoko and Kuon alone in the room.

Before she could give him a proper scolding about spending habits, Kuon swept her into his arms, effortlessly leading her into a dizzying spin. A laugh bubbled out of her, dazed both from the spin and from his affection. It was only now that she realized they could still hear the strings from the ballroom. Kuon led her in perfect time to the muted song. Only a few of the room’s lights were on, the space feeling increasingly more intimate as Kuon pulled her close.

“Don’t think this will distract me,” she scolded, but there was no real heat in it. Her heart was too full. “I mean it. You shouldn’t spend so much money.”

“You make it hard to resist the urge.” He smiled, eyes taking in the wings on her back. “It’s the most natural way for me to express my feelings for you. And when you surprise me like this…” He paused, his smile widening to a cheeky grin. “I might end up buying you a whole castle.”

Kyoko’s breath caught. He probably hadn’t meant to make it sound like buying them a home, but after a full week of double talk under their personas, her mind was still calibrated to read into the possible meaning of his words.

“You’d better not,” she huffed. “I’ll have to put a parental lock on your wallet.”

He laughed, Kyoko joining him. But then his laughter died, his expression turning more somber.

“I really am sorry for not coming,” he said. “I made you wait. I stood you up. No matter the circumstances, I’m sorry for doing that to you, especially when you put so much effort into the surprise.”

But Kyoko shook her head, already well past forgiving him.

“You brought me on this magical week,” she said. “I’ve lived the closest thing to a fairy tale I’ll probably get. Not to mention I got to spend it with you.” She tightened her arms around his neck, going up on tiptoe to pull him into a quick kiss. “I just wish it could have lasted longer. Going back to real life after this week is going to be rough.”

It had all felt like a dream. This hotel and the events inside of it felt like an entirely different world from the real one they had come from. Adjusting to real life was going to take some time.

Kuon’s eyes shone with warmth, bending down to kiss her once more.

“I’m not sure what you mean,” he said. “I told you, didn’t I? That I considered our meeting the start of a fairy tale. As the protagonist to such a tale, you can’t escape it.” His face remained near hers as he closed his eyes, Kyoko following suit to focus on his physical presence. His fingers brushed the nape of her neck and it sent shivers down her whole body.

“My Princess,” he breathed, and Kyoko couldn’t help the tears that sprang into her eyes.

“That’s _Fairy_ Princess to you,” she mock chided, earning a rumble of laughter from him. “I worked hard on my wings so that I could match you.”

“They’re beautiful,” he agreed. “You wear them well.”

They continued to dance, no longer bothering with a traditional waltz. She was too comfortable wrapped in his arms, slowly spinning as they enjoyed their last evening alone together. Who knew when they’d get another moment like this to themselves?

A thought entered her head, and she groaned.

“What is it?” said Kuon.

She pulled away, giving him a sorry grin. “I just realized… I’m _really_ not looking forward to Lory’s party celebrating our relationship.”

Kuon glanced toward the door and then at the window at the other side of the room.

“We could sneak out the window,” he said. “It would be within my character if I were still wearing my outfit.”

“Yes. Please. Let’s go.”

Kyoko reached behind her, undoing a series of strings and ties before pulling. The wings collapsed and folded nearly behind her back. Kuon stared with open amazement.

“So that’s how you keep them hidden,” he joked, and she smacked his arm.

“Hurry! Before the president comes in to check on us.”

Somehow they managed to crawl out the window and make it back inside the hotel without alerting either security or Lory. They laughed the whole way, shushing each other as they fumbled for their keycard and pushed the door open to their room.

“I can’t wait until next time,” said Kyoko. She’d have a whole year to plan everything. Maybe she’d make the costumes herself and start completely from scratch. “What do you say?”

Kuon answered with a kiss on her nose, eliciting a squeal from her. “I can’t wait,” he said. “And next time, I’ll make sure I’m not working.”

Emboldened by their running from before, Kyoko tackled him, making Kuon fall backward onto the bed. She landed on his chest with an _‘oof’,_ grinning wickedly before smacking a loud kiss on his lips. “And next time,” she said. “We’ll make sure we don’t have to hide our identities.”

To that, Kuon was more than happy to agree.

### Author Notes

I’d like to give a big thank you to all the wonderful authors that pulled together to create this fic. It was an honor to tie everything up and I hope I lived up to your expectations. I wanted to make sure and give a proper nod to each day and the enormous fun that cons are. You all made me miss them.

Thank you as well to Mimagren for herding us all into a comprehensive work. It was a tough job and she really stepped up leading us. Or maybe I’ll just speak for myself, I’m a mess. This would not have been possible without her!

Also, I’d like to thank those wonderful editors who took the time to make my mess look like a comprehensive chapter. Thank you for your patience and hard work. Good editors are so crucial in writing and you guys did an absolutely fantastic job!

And of course, a final thank you to all those that took the time to read this collaboration. I may write for my own entertainment, but I also write to share my passion with all of you. I hope you enjoyed this and wish you all the best!

~[Blushweaver](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Blushweaver/pseuds/Blushweaver)

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [There Lived a Man and His Obsessions](https://archiveofourown.org/works/28330209) by [nnjvz](https://archiveofourown.org/users/nnjvz/pseuds/nnjvz)




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